GOOD Statement by Thyrone Williams,
GOOD Saldanha Bay Councillor
30 May 2023
A devastating turn in our fight against possible jobs cuts at a St Helena Bay fish factory has now seen death threats made against myself and my family.
The GOOD Party recently took up the fight of the local fishing community after a sudden change in the operating and production license conditions of Lucky Star made them unnecessarily harsh to comply with.
The well-known factory in Stompneus Bay has been around for 50 years and employs about 1000 workers from the surrounding neighbourhoods.
It was initially alleged that this change stemmed from complaints from the near-by Shelley Point Country Club, where people claimed the smell coming from the factory had a negative impact on their health.
Following a peaceful march and constructive engagements with the West Coast District Municipality, it quickly became clear that the officials knew very little about the workings of the factory. It further became evident that this lack of knowledge has allowed space for those against the factory, to drive the implementation of the devious and unfair regulations.
However, thanks to our engagement, officials agreed to broader public participation processes with community members, while the factory has been allowed to start a “variation application” to address the unreasonable conditions placed on their license.
This was seen as a massive success for our campaign against the unfair treatment of the factory, and the people who rely on it for jobs.
But unfortunately, a planned feedback meeting that was scheduled to take place over the weekend had to be cancelled, after I received a threatening call in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The unidentified person said that if the meeting proceeded, I would be killed, before dropping the call. This was followed by a second call shortly after with the same person claiming that they were keeping on eye on my house.
A case has since been opened with the police, and the Speaker of the Municipality has agreed to provide protection, as is required by law, and moved myself and my family to a safe place. A welcomed step since police confirmed an attempted break-in at my home just last night.
While it’s shocking that some people are willing to risk the safety of my family, it will not deter us in our fight for the lives of the local fishing community.
Unemployment is rampant across South Africa, and the impact of this ever-increasing statistic is evident in this already struggling community.
Media Enquiries:
Thyrone Williams, GOOD Saldanha Bay Councillor
Cell: 073 427 6308
Email: wthyrone@gmail.com
Janke Tolmay, GOOD Media Manager
Cell: 073 367 1223
Email: janke@forgood.org.za