Metro only for PE, not Uitenhage

Under the establishment of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro (NMBM), PE has experienced development of such staggering proportions, it makes sense to argue that Uitenhage and Despatch account for much of this, but to the detriment of the town and its inhabitants. NMBM is for Port Elizabeth and it’s citizens, finish and klaar! Uitenhage does not need this nonsense of a metro, not for one moment! Uitenhage has immense capacity to cater for its people.

We are today in this mess of a metro because of greedy and short-sighted individuals.

It will take a collective effort of the Uitenhagers, Despatch included, led by the workers, to stop paying rates and services to this metro, because not only does the act itself spell gross stupidity, it also undermines the collective intelligence of the masses and cannot be left unchallenged. The image of Uitenhage has been seriously tarnished – its sovereignty grossly violated and the dignity of the masses compromised to levels of second-class citizens.

As an advocate of a free and independent Uitenhage, I feel it should pull out of that metro and elect a mayor of its own, free from external influences.

A delegation of Uitenhage should then travel abroad to canvass for aid and forge business and trade partnerships for the development of Uitenhage.

Uitenhage is blessed with professionals and academics from all walks of life who are capable of doing a great job but are jobless because not only have our offices been ferried to PE, but our jobs as well. This is a huge shame.

At a time when we are expected to be free, we find ourselves colonised – we are slaves, bandits. We have now been taken 100-years backwards in time.

This predicament will have severe consequences for our children and their future, unless something is done now.

It is only in a free Uitenhage that our kids can legitimately have ambitious dreams of becoming first citizens of the town – other than that, their dreams will remain dreams for ever. Amen.

In retrospect, NMBM for PE, Uitenhage for Uitenhage, but if PE is that desperate for a metro, why not take Kinkelbos, Kenton, Kareedouw or even East London – who cares? Personally, even if word comes out that the next mayor will be from Uitenhage, I will still kick against it.

All sorts of power supplies our CBD. It is a well calculated attempt aimed not only at discouraging big businesses from coming to Uitenhage, but to discourage Uitenhage from doing business in Uitenhage. It is more like saying "bring your business to us”. If a huge tourney like boxing takes place in Uitenhage, rest assured there will be a power cut for the whole day and we will be expected to believe it was a mechanical fault, when it wasn’t.

But, we are not to be deceived forever, are we?

R Booi Uitenhage