President Cyril Ramaphosa will be in the province next week to check on the progress of two major projects, the construction of the Msikaba and Mtentu bridges.
His visit comes after another heated meeting in Xolobeni over the projects, described as mega infrastructure developments.
Stun grenades and teargas were fired by police at a chaotic meeting of the Wild Coast N2 toll road constructors, the government, and the Amadiba community of Xolobeni at the weekend.
The Greenfield’s section of road will ease traffic and reduce the time of travelling between the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, but will cost the public toll fees in perpetuity.
Scores of villagers turned up for the Friday meeting but it degenerated into chaos.
Police were called and used stun grenades and teargas, allegedly to prevent community members opposed to the road from attending the meeting.
But public works MEC Babalo Madikizela said those who had been dispersed by the police were not supposed to be part of the meeting, because they did not live in the area affected by the road construction.
But Amadiba Crisis Committee leader Nonhle Mbuthuma said police had turned away people who were supposed to be part of the meeting, because they had not come to endorse government plans.
Mbuthuma said the community would go to court and force the government to use the original design of the route which is 10km away from the village.
They have another agenda. They are pushing their agenda before we even open our mouths
“They have another agenda. They are pushing their agenda before we even open our mouths,” Mbuthuma said.
She accused both the government and its road builder, the SA National Roads Agency, of using apartheid tactics by violently removing people who opposed the project, and bulldozing through so-called development plans.
Mbuthuma accused Madikizela of dictating the terms of engagement and using certain people who had been coerced to accept the government’s development plan.
She said the meeting had started five hours late because Madikizela was allegedly busy trying to get the police to prevent people who were supposed to be at the meeting from attending, and trying to let in only those who had been brought in to support the government's decision.
Madikizela denied these claims saying the meeting was not meant for the entire community but only for those who would be directly affected by the road construction.
He accused Mbuthuma and the members of the Amadiba Crisis Committee of trying to sabotage the meeting. .
“But it has been Nonhle’s [Mbuthuma] common practice that whenever they lose an argument they turn out to be disruptive, to cause chaos and collapse the meetings.
“This time that didn’t succeed because the police dealt with everyone who was not supposed to be in the meeting and it was only left to those who were invited because they were affected. The majority of them agreed to make a way for the project.”
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