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Community Delivers Demands to Protea Gardens Mall Management
On August 31st, the community of Protea South took a united and peaceful stand by organising a march to deliver a memorandum of demands to the management of Protea Gardens Mall.
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In this formal document, the residents presented several critical requests, emphasising their desire for the mall to become a more integral part of the community’s well-being. Among the demands made were:
Job Opportunities: The community insisted that the mall prioritise providing job opportunities, businesses, and tender prospects to individuals residing within its jurisdiction.
Local Employment: Local business forum secretary Morgan Nyiko Matjeke highlighted a specific goal of having 99.9% of the mall’s workforce composed of Protea South residents. This request addressed the concern of seeing illegal immigrants employed within the mall while deserving South African citizens remained unemployed.
Recognition of Business Forum: The residents sought formal recognition of the local business forum as an intermediary organisation, facilitating communication between the community and Protea Gardens Mall concerning employment, business ventures, and tender opportunities.
Security Company Partnership: The appointed security company was encouraged to establish a partnership with local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), or alternatively, a new security company from Protea South was suggested.
In response, Kulani Nkuna, the centre manager, acknowledged that unemployment is a broader national issue and clarified that no legal mandate requires the mall to hire local residents. Nevertheless, Nkuna expressed willingness to address many of the community’s demands, recognising that these concerns were not new and that there was an opportunity for constructive dialogue.
To facilitate further discussion and action, the community requested a round table meeting within seven days involving the centre manager and mall owners. Notably, there was an immediate positive outcome as the Boxer manager committed to opening job opportunities for some of the residents who had submitted their CVs during the march. This development was appreciated by community leader Walter Mnisi, underscoring the importance of translating promises into tangible actions for the benefit of the Protea South community.
Source: Residents submit a letter demand to management of Protea Gardens Mall
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Photo: Supplied by Soweto Urban
