Category Archives: Canaan Mdletshe

Sowetan: Council lashed for ‘bulldozing’ houses

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Council lashed for ‘bulldozing’ houses

14 October 2008
Canaan Mdletshe

The Homeless People’s Federation, an NGO in Lamontville outside Durban, yesterday lashed out at the eThekwini municipality for demolishing homes it had helped locals to build.

The homes were flattened to the ground to make way for the municipality’s housing projects.

The NGO claimed this was in contravention of an agreement it had signed with the provincial and the national departments.

It says the homes built by the locals were superior to those planned by the municipality. Shacks were also bulldozed.

Spokesman for the federation Thembinkosi Njilo said the agreement was reached after the first phase of demolishing by eThekwini municipality on Friday, where more than 50 houses and shacks were destroyed. He said they were not against development, but against the manner in which it was being conducted.

His organisation had built better houses for their members but was shocked when local councillor Nolubabalo Mthembu told residents that everyone would be temporarily moved and housed at another area while the municipality developed the area.

“The federation has been helping people for years to build better homes. We were shocked to see the homes demolished .

“We were told about the move to demolish the homes at a meeting shortly before the demolition began. Why not build homes for the needy people out there and leave our members alone.

“Our members are angry because their homes were of a better quality and were just destroyed,” Njilo said.

He said after the houses were demolished last Friday, they held a meeting on Sunday with all the housing stakeholders, including representatives from the provincial and national housing departments, and it was agreed that the demolition should stop.

“But we were surprised when the municipality sent their people and trucks despite the agreement prohibiting them from doing so,” he said.

The municipality representatives were in meetings late yesterday and could not be reached for comment.

Sowetan: Residents threaten to destroy bulldozers

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http://www.sowetan.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=844809

Residents threaten to destroy bulldozers

17 September 2008
Canaan Mdletshe

The Abahlali Basemjondolo movement has threatened to destroy any bulldozers sent to demolish their newly built shacks at the Foreman Road settlement outside Durban.

Municipal bulldozers were yesterday expected to demolish shacks that had been rebuilt by residents after more than 2000 were burnt down at the weekend. One resident died in the fire.

Abahlali spokesman Mnikelo Ndabankulu warned that the bulldozers were not welcome. He said residents had waited since Sunday for the bulldozers to clean up the area after the fire, but when they did not arrive, the residents started rebuilding their shacks.

He said the bulldozers were sent to demolish the structures the residents had erected after the fire destroyed their original shacks.

Local councillor Yacoob Biag told Sowetan that a meeting had been scheduled for late yesterday between residents and the municipality in a bid to end the dispute over how to house the residents.

Sowetan: 5 siblings die in locked-up shack

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http://www.sowetan.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=814858

5 siblings die in locked-up shack

04 August 2008

Five siblings burnt to death when their shack caught fire at the weekend.

eThekwini’s fire department divisional commander Dennis Govender said the children were unable to escape the shack in Cato Crest, an informal settlement outside Durban, because the burglar gate was locked.

“The mother had locked in the children and went out when the shack caught fire, ” he said.

The mother was too traumatised to give the ages of the children .

Mnikelo Ndabankulu, spokesman for the Abahlali BaseMjondolo (Shack Dwellers) Movement, said: “Such deaths will continue if the government and municipality do not speed up building houses or installing electricity.” – Canaan Mdletshe

Sowetan: Amakhosi tell protesters to stop marching

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http://www.sowetan.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=744974

Sowetan 10/4/2008

Amakhosi tell protesters to stop marching

Canaan Mdletshe

Traditional leaders in Ulundi have warned protesters in the area to stop or face their wrath.

Phumempini Josias Mtshali, head of the Buthelezi clan, told the “loose cannons” that there has never been protests in Ulundi and that there never will be.

Two service delivery protests took place in the area recently.

Mtshali said: “We have noticed with concern the recent protests. Protest leaders call us names.

“They have been heard saying there is no development in areas under traditional leaders because the amakhosi are uneducated.”

Mtshali said the protests, to which the premier and MECs had been invited, were instigated by people who opposed traditional leaders.

“They even challenge us on the traditional norm of penalties against people who have done something wrong,” Mtshali said.

“They say it should end, but I want to tell them that the amakhosi will fight to the bitter end. We are not expecting any protests in Ulundi.”

Councilor Senzo Shwala, who led one protest, said they would continue marching for services and development because it was their right as taxpayers.

He said he had applied for a peace order because Mtshali told his parents that he had to stop organising marches or he would die.