Desperate families camp in ruins
[caption id="attachment_38047" align="alignright" width="405"] NOWHERE TO GO: Simphiwe Labi, 33, and his son Olungako, 2, have been left homeless after taking down his shack thinking his family and others would be moved to another area. Picture: EUGENE COETZEE[/caption]
ANGRY shack dwellers started fires and barricaded Stanford Road near Booysen Park with burning tyres and rocks yesterday, demanding to be relocated to serviced sites as they wait for RDP houses.
The demonstrations erupted after about 30 families from Vastrap informal settlement tore down their shacks on Sunday night, believing they would be relocated by the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality to serviced sites in Marikana area 1060 and 491 in Booysen Park on Monday.
But human settlements portfolio committee chairman Buyisile Mkavu said yesterday he was not aware of any promises made to residents.
He referred further questions to the department's executive director, Lindile Petuna, who also said his office had never made such promises.
"As a standing committee, we took a decision last week that we won't relocate anyone until we follow other processes. That Vastrap land is privately owned and we'll first have to speak to the owner and see if we can acquire the land. If not, we will start relocating people," Petuna said.
He would investigate how the confusion came about and would meet with the residents in due course.
Before deciding to protest yesterday morning, residents sat guarding their belongings, pondering their next move.
Community leader Simphiwe Waka said an agreement that the residents would be relocated had been reached at a meeting with municipal officials on Monday last week.
He said if the municipality did not relocate them, they would invade the land they claim they were promised.
"The people are very frustrated because we were promised heaven and earth before the elections and now we are being ignored," Waka said.
Many families would take down their shacks in solidarity with others and in line with the "an injury to one is an injury to all" principle, Waka said.
Resident Nomakula Nondala, 25, a mother of two who took down her shack on Monday, feared the family would again sleep under the stars last night.
"It is very frustrating because even though we were living in shacks in atrocious conditions we still had roofs over our heads. Either way we will spend another night under the stars.
"Our furniture is being destroyed by dew and we will end up being victims of crime if we continue sleeping outside," she said.
Her neighbour, Simphiwe Labi, 33, said: "My only concern is my two-year-old son's health."
Ntombizandile Dlomo, 40, said: "This hurts so much and the municipal truck that relocates people only relocated three families and we were told it broke down."
But Petuna said he knew nothing about a truck that went to relocate people.
Soon after realising they would not be relocated yesterday, the residents started burning tyres and blocking Stanford Road and Nooitgedacht Drive which leads to Booysen Park.
They also burnt the veld.
Addressing the protesters at the Nooitgedacht Drive turn-off,Waka said the families were fighting for their rights.
"We are saying enough is enough and it is high time we go back and use the strategy that was used to take this country back," he told the residents. - Mkhululi Ndamase
