GALLERY: Fawu marches over factory closure
VIDEO: Fawu speaks out against factory closure
BREAKING: Fawu hands over memorandum
If Oceana goes, so does its education investment, says civic leader.
Cape Town – If Oceana closes down its fish-meal factory in Hout Bay it will have a massive impact on the community, according to a civic association figure.
Roscoe Jacobs, Hout Bay Civic Association secretary, said that Oceana played a very important role in the town.
“Without giving too much credit to the corporate itself, Oceana is very much a big part … of our community,” he said.
“The investment that is made by Oceana in education in our community is really great,” he said. “Part of the concern of the community is that if Oceana decides to pack up and leave, that investment in our education will no longer be there.
“If Oceana leaves, it will have an impact on our schools and ultimately on our community,” he said.
The Oceana Foundation has channelled R2.4m into corporate social investment projects in Hout Bay over the past three years.
Jacobs told Fin24 during the Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu) march to hand over a memorandum to Oceana and the City of Cape Town on Friday that he had started his own petition.
"I am hoping to get about 10 000 signaturies," he said. "The petition will ask the City of Cape Town to reveal whether Oceana has broken its bylaws on air quality and will ask the Department of Public Works if it will extend the lease for Oceana.
"If the information shows that Oceana has no reason to leave, then we will take them that information and see what they say," he said.
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WATCH: Roscoe Jacobs addresses Fawu and the City of Cape Town on Friday 11 September 2015