Protest at ‘incorrect housing allocation’
Cape Town. 150824. Residents say they have been waiting for years on the housing list but people outside of the province come and receive houses long before they do. Protests continue as they take to the streets, burning tyres and any rubble they can find. Reporter Siya. Pic COURTNEY AFRICA Cape Town. 150824. Residents say they have been waiting for years on the housing list but people outside of the province come and receive houses long before they do. Protests continue as they take to the streets, burning tyres and any rubble they can find. Reporter Siya. Pic COURTNEY AFRICA
Siyavuya Mzantsi
EMERGENCY medical services were blocked from accessing the Langa Clinic as residents dumped rubble and placed large objects in the road during a housing protest on Monday.
A group of about 150 residents took to Langa’s streets, burning tyres as they vented their frustrations over the allocation process for a new housing project.
Residents who were backyard dwellers said they had applied for houses more than 20 years ago but were still waiting, while people from New Flats, Siyahlala and in an area called Specials, who had applied years after them, would benefit from the project.
Resident Rashida Mali said they were demanding that the allocation process be done according to the City of Cape Town’s database.
“We have a problem with the City’s database because it seems like it is not being looked at. We have people from 1986 and 1992 who are still waiting for houses. All of the people who are getting houses are not supposed to be benefiting because they applied late,” said Mali.
She said the protest had been started to prevent people from occupying the houses yesterday.
“People from New Flats are not in the database. We want them to start with people from 1986. I am a backyard dweller and I am fighting for my mother who has been waiting for a house for more than 20 years,” Mali said.
Mali said the project had divided Langa residents because the correct processes were not being followed.
“We will prevent them from occupying these houses until they follow the database. We will do this the whole week. We have a list of people who are supposed to be beneficiaries. Backyard dwellers are left out,” she said.
The Langa joint committee, which had proposed the project to the City, said Monday’s protest was not a “surprise”.
Committee member Alfred Magwaca said: “This is just a smear campaign against development in Langa. These were the people who tried to prevent this project from taking place. They protested.
“They have also accused me of selling these houses. These are rental flats.”
He said people would start moving into the houses later this week because there were difficulties with installing electricity.
“It’s misleading to say that people were prevented from moving in Tuesday because of the protest. There were issues with electric cables and installation of electric boxes,” he said.
Magwaca said the committee would hold a press briefing today, outlining housing challenges faced by residents in Langa.
Mayco member for human settlements Benedicta van Minnen said the City would respond on Tuesday.
siyavuya.mzantsi@inl.co.za