“Zindawo ezidume kabi e Akoo’s Flats”

1 June 2007

Ngomhlaka 9 ka Meyi, iphephandaba I Witness bebhale ngokwelula nge “zindawo ezidume kabi e Akoo’s Flats” ukuba zibhidlizwe. Bonke abalalelwa ngovo lwabo kulombhalo bahalalisela umphathi omusha webhilidi, ‘umthuthukisi’u Mr. Andrew Barnes, ngokuchitha lelibhilidi elingcole kakhulu elalicunula amehlo. Laliyimvithi. Emva kwezinsuku ezimbili, u Daniel Bailey osebenzela indawo yamalungelo ezindlu nokukhishwa kwabantu ezindlini (Centre On Housing Rights and Evictions- COHRE),wabhala incwadi eyakhishwa kwi Witness ebuza ngabahlali abakhishwa- abantu ababengabonakali kwisiqalo sendaba ekwi Witness. Encwadini ka Daniel wakhomba ukuthi “abahlali bakulendawo bebengahlali khona ngoba bethanda(ubani ongathanda ukuhlala endaweni engaphephile?) kodwa ngoba yikhona akade benakho.

I khansela yeWadi, u Mr Green, waphendula kulencwadi ngokuqondile evikela ukudiliza nokukhiswa kwabantu ezindlini. UGreen wabhala: “kwesinye isikhathi inzwabethi iyakholakala kuneqiniso, kodwa noma ngabe ngubani ofuna ukubeka uvo mayelana ngenzwabethi kumele enze isiqiniseko ngolwazi noma ngamahemuhemu ngaphambi ngokuba bathathe izinyathelo. Imvume yokudilizwa kwezindlu yakhishwa ihhofisi likamasipala mayelana nezindaba zokuphepha kanye nokuhlanzeka. Bonke abahlali base Akoo’s Flats babekwa kwezinye izindawo ngokwanelisayo ngosizo lomethuthukisi.

Njenge khansela ye Wadi, ngalungiselela imihlangano emibalwa nabahlali nabathuthukisi ukuze kufezwe ngempumelelo imiphumela yawowonke umuntu obandakanyekayo”. Ingxenye yokuqala yencwadi ka Green iyindlela ethobile yokusola u Daniel Bailey ngokuqamba amanga.- “Kwesinye isikhathi izinzwabethi iyakholakala kuneqiniso, kodwa noma ngabe ngubani ofuna ukubeka uvo mayelana ngenzwabethi kumele enze isiqiniseko ngolwazi noma ngamahemuhemu ngaphambi kokuba bathathe izinyathelo”. Ngakhoke, singabantu ababehlala emakamelweni alezozindlu- ezazibizwa ngokuthi “Indlu Emhlophe”(White House)- lezo ezadilizwa eduze nama fulethi kusetsenzelwa endaweni efanayo.

Yona futhi lendlu umniniyo kwakungu Akoo wayidayisela u Barnes. Njengamafulethi, lomuzi wawunika indawo yokuhlala kwabampofu endaweni. Sidiniwe amanga. Amanga awaqhamuki ku Daniel Bailey. Amanga aqhamuka kosomabhizinisi namakhansela. Nali iqiniso lalokhu okwenzeka kithina.

Ekupheleni kuka Novemba ngonyaka odlule, u Mr Andrew Barnes wasazisa umphathi omusha wamabhilidi. Emva kwenyanga, indoda eyayibizwa ngokuthi u Sam, eyayimusebenzela, yamemezela ukuthi ayifuni ukuba kuphinde kuhlale muntu kuleyondawo futhi usinika inyanga ukuba siphume. Wathi akafuni simukhokhele imali yokuhlala futhi usekhokhela amanzi avuzayo yonke indawo futhi uzowavala amanzi. Ngawo futhi u Disemba, weza nencwadi eyayigunyaza ukuthi wonke umuntu asayine ukuthi uzophuma/uzohamba. Oyedwa kuphela omunye wethu owayekhona ngenkathi efika ngalesosikhathi, futhi akavumanga ukusayina leyoncwadi. Kwakungamaholidi,abahlali bancenga ukuba angabakhiphi ngalesisikhathi. U Mr. Barnes wasabisa ngokuthi uzoletha imishini eyayizodiliza yonke indawo ngakhoke sasisaba ukungabi nandawo yokuhlala futhi sasikhathazekile ngezimpahla zethu ezazilapho. Yingakho sashesha ukubuya ngomhlaka 27 no 28 kuDisemba. Kumele sisho ukuthi kuze kebe yimanje akekho owake wakhuluma nathi mayelana nezinye izindawo zokuhlala esingazithola nhlobo. Kunalokho, okwenzeka kithina ukuthi abasebenzi beza bazobhidliza indawo yethu. Baqala ngokudiliza indawo yokubhukuda eyayikhona, base baqala ngezindawo ezazingaphandle. Babesabeka bememeza thina Bantu besifazane, “Hambani bafazi”. U Mr. Barnes yena wangena ikamelo ngalinye, ekhahlela izicabha waze wayofika enzansi, ebiza abantu ababehlala lapho. Omunye wabantu ababehlala lapho kwakungowase Malawi. Mhlawumbe ngoba wayengowakwelinye izwe amalungelo akhe ayengahlonishwa, uyena owayethuke kakhulu ngalokhukusatshiswa wabaleka kuqala. Kodwa sonke sasithithekile kabi. Kulesisimo, uma umnikazi wendlu yakho ekhahlela izicabha, ebhidliza amabhilidi, akwenzeki ukuthi uqhubeke nokuhlala kuleyondawo! Okwabanga ukuthi kungenzeki ngempela ukuthi, u Mr. Barnes watshela abantu ukuthi bangeza bazothatha izicabha namafasitela- ngakhoke ngokunjalo konke kwenzeka ngokushesha okwabanga ukuthi kungahlaleki kuleyondawo.

Sidiniwe kakhulu. Sahlukumezeka nezingaze zethu nazo zahlukumezeka. Omunye wethu watshelwa ngokwakwenzekala ngenkathi ingane yami encane ifika igijima lapho ngangisebenza khona ukuzongitshela ukuthi umlungu ucekela phanzi izicabha futhi uyamemeza. Namanje uma sikhuluma ngalendaba siyakhala futhi. Lentombazanyana yami encane yathinteka kakhulu. Njalo uma ebona indoda emhlophe, emotweni noma evenini eduze kwethu, uyakhala acashe ngokusaba. Okwenzeka akulungile impela. Mhlawumbe uma omunye engumnikazi webhilidi efuna ukulithatha, bangakwenza lokho. Kodwa ngiyathemba bangakwenza ngendlela engcono? Akubalulekile ukusabisa kuhlukunyezwe abantu. Kuyimpilo enzima kulabo abampofu. Asihlali sinesikhathi sokuthi sihambe siye kofuna izindawo zokuhlala eduze nedolobha lapho singaziphilisa khona. Abanye bethu ababese Akoo’s nase White House kwadingeka ukuthi babuyele emekhaya akude kunezindawo abasebenzela kuzo nezikole. Abanye bathola izindawo ababezikhokhela okwesikhashana esifushane emukhukhwini yaseduze nedolobha. Ukukhokhokhela ikamelo noma indawo yokuhlala kubizakakhulu kubantu- kubiza inani elingangenkulungwane yamarandi. Ngempelala akukho okunye esingakwenza.

U Mr. Green uthi abahlali “babekwa kwezinye izindawo ezigculisayo ngosiso lomthuthukisi” . Uthi “ njenge khansela ye Wadi ngalungiselela imihlangano emibalwa yabahlali nabathuthukisi ukufeza ngempumelelo imiphumela yawowonke umuntu obandakanyekayo”. Eqinisweni, kithina esivela e White House, ayikho imihlangano eyahlelwa ukukhuluma nathi mayelana nokukhishwa ezindlini, akuzange kuxoxiswane ngokuthi siyobekwa kuphi, mhlawumbe kwakukhona impumelele kwi khansela nempumelelo kumthuthukisi, kodwa thina salahlekelwa kakhulu futhi asizange sinxephezelwe, asinikwanga usizo futhi akuxoliswanga. Kanjalo siyazi ukuthi abanye babantu base Akoo’s Flats banikezwa imali ngu Mr. Barnes ukuthi bahambe. Ngemuva kwalokho samuzwa etshela abanye ukuthi ,abantu base White House- yithinake labo- bazikhethela bona ukuhamba kodwa abantu basemaFulethini babelukhuni futhi mina (Mr. Barnes) kwafuneka ukuthi ngibakhokhele imali ukuze bahambe. Okokuqala akulona iqiniso ukuthi sazihambela ngokuthanda kwethu- saphoqelelwa ukuthi siphume. Futhi okwesibili, ukuthenga abantu/ukufumbathisa akufani neqiniso nobulungiswa.

Sicabanga ukuthi u Mr. Barnes wenza iphutha elikhulu. Uyakhohlwa ukuthi, ngenxa yokuthi siyahlupheka ,asizona izilima. Sazibona izindaba ezabhalwa emaphephandabeni futhi sayibona nencwadi ya Khansela u Green eqamba amanga ngenxa ka Mr. Barnes. Sifuna ukuthi indaba yethu nathi yaziwe. Sesahlangana no Daniel Bailey owabhala lencwadi manje sinesiqiniseko sokuthi amalungelo ethu awanakangwa futhi lokhu kwenziwa ngendlela eyayingekho emthethweni. Abanye bethu sebahlala ezindlini zase Akoo’s iminyaka eyisishagalombili futhi sinamalungelo phansi komthetho. Imibhalo yobufakazi esinayo izincwadi ezazivela ekampanini eyayifihlekile ya Mr. Barnes kodwa akukho ukususwa okwakuhlelekile ngokomthetho okwakukhishwe inkantolo yezomthetho; kwakungekho phoyisa lesifunda lapho ngezikhathi kukhishwa izimpahla zethu, kwakungengo ndawo efanelekile yokuhlala okwaxoxiswana ngazo noma esazinikezwa. Ngesikhathi esilandelayo u Mr. Barnes uma efuna ukukhuluma nathi, usengakhuluma nabameli bethu.