By Mziwoxolo Sume

A community activist from the Eastern Cape protested in Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown), calling for an end to the budget cuts and austerity measures that municipalities in the province have been implementing.

Organised by the Cry of the Xcluded, the protesters say the budget cuts have adversely affected service delivery.

Residents of various municipalities in the Eastern Cape face poor service delivery due to inadequate infrastructure management and governance.

According to the Cry of the Excluded, the Eastern Cape crisis cannot be reduced to isolated municipalities or departments. They argue that challenges in water, healthcare, education, and the environment, as well as corruption and violence, are rooted in budget cuts and austerity measures. These measures compound the crisis by limiting the government’s ability to fill vacant posts and expand public employment.

Cry of the excluded organiser, Vuyokazi Made, criticised the Makana Municipality for failing to provide basic services to residents.
“The municipality of Makana is failing the communities of Makhanda by not providing services because it is corrupt and imposing austerity measures. We need to vote them out,” she said.
Made urged the nearly 100 protesters to use all available strategies to put more pressure on their municipalities to ensure that they meet the communities’ demands.

The protesters’ main demand is for the municipalities to end austerity measures and budget cuts and to deliver better services, such as decent housing and jobs for young people. They also demand a basic income grant of R1500 for the unemployed.

The Mayor of Makana and some officials came to receive the memorandum of demands. After signing it, the Mayor promised to get back to the protesters in a week.