The construction workers at the newly built monument in Boipatong, in the Vaal are up in arms with the main constructor after they were not paid their monthly salary since they started working in the beginning of the year.
A fuming sub-contractor Mpho Mmusi, told the executive mayors of Emfuleni Local Municipality, Greta Nomadlozi Hlongwane and her counter-part Sedibeng District Municipality, Simon Mahole Mofokeng that if they don’t get their money they will drop the tools and asked them to intervene.
This took place when both mayors and their entourage paid the Boipatong monument site a visit in full view of the victims’ families, community and media.
“We urge you as the sub-constructors to intervene because since we have started working here we haven’t got a single penny. Even now the engineers are no longer coming here because of being unpaid” said Mmusi.
It is believed the monument cost thirty two point seven million rands.
The monument is been erected after nineteen years where about forty-five people were gunned down and injured when Inkatha Freedom Party members and apartheid force members attacked the community on June 17th 1992. This follows after political parties taking part in pre democracy negotiations with the National Party government called for suspension, citing complicity in the attacks.
During the attacks Boipatong was ten years old.
According to him since the beginning of the construction of the monument they have been building it from their own pockets. He claimed that they are even afraid to walk in the streets because they owe people money.
“We have spent eight million rands from the money that we borrowed from people and banking institutions. As people of Boipatong we are proud of this monument and even the workers work as volunteers because they hope that someday they will get something. We don’t have money to continue the building of the monument, as we speak the roof is pending” added Mmusi.
Mofokeng promised ‘this matter’ will be attended to before Wednesday.
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