‘We will destroy White City’

Politics
THE fight for jobs at venues to host the December African Union Sports Council Region V Youth Games in Bulawayo escalated on Friday after residents picketed White City Stadium demanding employment of locals.

THE fight for jobs at venues to host the December African Union Sports Council Region V Youth Games in Bulawayo escalated on Friday after residents picketed White City Stadium demanding employment of locals. THANDIWE MOYO OWN CORRESPONDENT

Ward 13 residents threatened to destroy structures being built at the stadium if the contractor, Shomat Construction, does not hire locals by today. White City Stadium is currently being renovated for the games set for December.

Other big venues are Barbourfields and Luveve stadiums where Bulawayo residents complain that companies from outside the city were given construction tenders ahead of locals.

The companies reportedly imported labour, including people hired for menial tasks, from outside Bulawayo.

Zanu PF youths started the protests last month demanding jobs for locals. On Friday angry residents accused a named MDC-T legislator of demanding $50 from job seekers to secure employment.

This was after scores had thronged White City Stadium in anticipation of being hired as casual labourers only for them to realise that recruitment had already been done.

“This is our stadium. They should employ our people here. We talked to the construction foreman and supervisor and were told that only Zanu PF youths would be employed,” he said.

“If by Monday (today) they do not do something to employ us, we are burning the stadium. We will destroy everything,” said an irate resident who refused to be named.

“They can get people from anywhere in this town, but not from Harare. People are employed along political affiliation. You have to be either Zanu PF or MDC,” said another resident.

The residents accused the contractor of tribalism.

“You cannot go to Harare and seek employment. Why should they come here and do the same?

“There is an MP who is making people pay $50 to be employed,” said one resident.

Khonzani Ncube, the games’ local organising committee chairperson told a business community meeting on Friday that district administrators had been tasked with looking into the employment of non-skilled and semi-skilled workers at venues being refurbished.

“The district administrators should go out in the community to register people who want employment,” said Ncube who is also the Bulawayo provincial administrator.

“It is a cause for concern because it has been brought up before. We urge people to go and see the ongoing construction and see the material being used.”

The issue also took centre stage during a Zanu PF provincial inter-city district youth conference on ZimAsset earlier this month.