Community Conflict over jobs

Phola/Ogies v/s Witbank.
2020/08/14.
Empumelelweni Emalahleni.
Mbethe Thembisile.

On the 12th of August 2020 the people in the community of Phola/Ogies decided to strike for employment of Witbank community members in the mines that are allocated in & around Phola/ogies. Phola/Ogies community barricaded the mines entrance so that the employees from Witbank cannot enter the mines premises, as they claim that the mines are employing people from outside Phola/Ogies community, while they are unemployed as the community that lives nearby the mines.

The issue escalated to Witbank community. On the 13th the community of Witbank decided to go to the municipality offices to forcefully evacuate the employees who are residing at Phola. They also went to the shops in Witbank CBD to do the same. Shouting that people from Phola/Ogies are not allowed to work in Witbank anymore, saying “keep your _Phola_ / Ogies…we will keep our Witbank”