This article was originally published on page 4 of Cape Times on January 30, 2006

Cape Times

30 Jan 2006

Hall dwellers say Cape council ‘insensitive’ Babalo Ndenze
January 30 2006 at 10:10AM

Few home comforts: Lucinda Lorie does her school work on her family’s bed in the crowded and run-down Belhar community hall that has become her temporary home. Photo: Lulama Zenzile, Cape Times
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As living conditions worsen in the community hall that has housed 118 Belhar backyard dwellers for the past seven months, they accuse the city council of being “insensitive” for failing to meet them for months.

The group decided to occupy the hall illegally in protest at living in backyards while other communities were given housing last year.

The group is to be integrated into the Symphony housing project in Delft once it is complete by about April, but they want to move from the hall earlier and be given temporary shelter.

Soon after moving into the hall in July, the frustrated backyard dwellers complained about the council’s earlier proposal to integrate them into the N2 Gateway Project.

Steven Levendal, spokesperson for the Belhar backyard dwellers, said the council’s housing department last had talks with them in October last year.

“Since then they have never met us. They sent a representative to receive our memorandum and he said he would come back to us in seven days.

“This is an indication of council’s insensitivity to the issue of the plight of these people for the past seven months,” said Levendal.

He said their committee had met the council’s director for human settlements Seth Maqethuka about the Symphony housing project in Delft.

“We also put forward a proposal to the City to erect a temporary settlement before we go to the Symphony project.

“We have also identified an erf where we can build temporary houses.”

Those living in the hall include three women suffering from diabetes and another who is terminally ill.

The hall ceiling has turned a yellowish colour from the moisture, due to lack ! of ventilation.

Only one shower and one toilet are functioning. Alcohol and drug abuse have soared.

“There is no ventilation in the hall, the toilets are inefficient, the washing basins are blocked, privacy is a huge problem and there is abuse of liquor in the hall,” said Levendal.

An ill and emaciated Patricia Boyder said: “I’m not in good health. The conditions are not fit for a sick person to live in. I’ve been living here for six months.”

Neither council spokesperson Sputnik Ratau nor Maqethuka could be reached for comment on Sunday.