26 June 2008
AEC: 500 residents from Gugs, Nyanga and Langa have occupied Housing MEC’s office
For comment from the scene call Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign Co-ordinator Mncedisi Twalo on 078 580 8646
CAPE TOWN – A large and vibrant occupation is underway at Housing and Local Government MEC Richard Dyantyi’s office, in the Provincial Parliamentary building in Wale Street.
The occupation began about 15 minutes ago.
Twalo said “we won’t leave until the Minister comes and gives us keys for the newly built houses in Langa, Delft and Nyanga”.
The residents who are at the occupation are those who have been on the housing waiting list for more than 20 years. They are carrying their “red cards” as proof. These are the cards they were issued with 20 years ago or more, when they first joined the waiting list.
The Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign has spent the last seven months carrying out an exhaustive census of people in Cape Town who have been on the waiting list for more than 20 years. This census was carried out by holding dozens of mass meetings in each and every township and ghetto in the city, where residents came forward with their red cards and vowed to join the campaign for housing.
These residents should clearly be first in line for any new houses, but instead they have been forgotten.
“We know the ANC and DA using an iron fist when it comes to dealing with their own people, but we have to get our houses, and that is why we are here today,” said Twalo.
…./ends
–~–~———~–~—-~————~——-~–~—-~
For more, please visit the website of the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign at:
www.antieviction.org.za
-~———-~—-~—-~—-~——~—-~——~–~—