Category Archives: Macassar Village

Cape Times: Khayelitsha residents will protest ‘until Jesus comes’

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http://www.capetimes.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=5091356

Khayelitsha residents will protest ‘until Jesus comes’

July 21, 2009 Edition 1

ANÉL LEWIS

DISGRUNTLED residents of 15 informal settlements in Khayelitsha say they will protest “until Jesus comes” if the City of Cape Town does not respond to their demands to be relocated to sites with better living conditions.

And they have threatened to continue with service delivery protests.

Mthobeli Qona of informal housing lobby group Abahlali baseMjondolo said protesters would “make Khayelitsha and the city ungovernable” until the city council responded.

About 150 informal dwellers marched to the Civic Centre yesterday to hand over a memorandum of concerns to Mayor Dan Plato. Each community included its own list of demands.

A representative from Plato’s office accepted the memorandum on his behalf. He said Plato was at a workshop. Plato has been given 14 days to respond.

Abahlali chairman Mzonke Poni said the group was disappointed that Plato was absent, despite being informed of the march. “The action is very arrogant. We don’t recognise Plato as the mayor.”

The memorandum listed residents’ concerns about living conditions in informal settlements. They asked the city to look at the conditions and provide a plan to resolve particular needs.

The city was also asked to finalise a city-wide housing plan for those living in informal settlements.

“Furthermore, we would like the city and its anti-land invasion unit to adopt a different attitude.”

Residents of QA section demanded land, better cleaning and waste collection services and the provision of toilets in informal areas.

The VW settlement is 21 years old, but still does not have essential services, residents complained. Residents from the TT section said they did not want to be relocated.

“We want the city to recognise the number of years that we have been staying here at TT section and we demand that this area be upgraded.”

Residents from the QQ section accused the city of “fooling our people”. They asked to be relocated to Bardale Farm “as promised” by former mayor Helen Zille.

The evictees of Macassar Village said the city’s demolition of their shacks was illegal.

Residents from the UT section Egadini said in a separate memorandum that the houses in their area were so close together that firefighters could not do their job in a fire.

They asked for streets and the relocation of some residents to de-densify the area, as well as better sanitation and improved lighting.

anel.lewis@inl.co.za

Cape Argus: ‘Meet our service delivery demands, Plato’

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http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=124&art_id=vn20090721115218488C196931

‘Meet our service delivery demands, Plato’

July 21 2009 at 01:33PM

By Francis Hweshe

Disgruntled informal settlement residents have given mayor Dan Plato two weeks to respond to their service delivery demands.

The residents, drawn from various communities in Khayelitsha and Macassar Village, on Monday marched from Keizersgracht Street to the City of Cape Town to demand, among other things, relocation to higher ground, as well as better housing and serviced land.

The march follows several service delivery protests which have flared across the Western Cape since April’s general elections.

In song and dance, the protesters denounced the government and major political parties for ignoring their plight.

Council official Andile Mhlanga accepted memoranda on Plato’s behalf as the mayor was said to be busy.

Some protesters spoke about the squalor they live in.

“We live in flooding squatter camps. We struggle to survive. We have no toilets,” said Mzwanele Biko, 25, of TT section in Khayelitsha.

He said he had migrated from the Eastern Cape 10 years ago hoping to “improve my life… But nothing has happened, I have no job.”

Another TT section resident, Zandile Maliwa, 45, a father of four, said: “Rubbish is not collected. The whole community share two water taps.”

Vuyani Ntontela, 42, who lives in UT section in Khayelitsha, said there were no tar roads which made it difficult for emergency vehicles to gain access to the area.

“We also use the bucket system. We want the flush system,” said Ntontela.

Housing activist Mzonke Poni, who led the march, said residents did not want to be violent when demanding services, “but it it’s the only language that the government understands better”.

He called on Plato to convene a meeting with the affected communities to address their concerns.

Academic Martin Legassick, who was there to support the residents, said more protests over service delivery should be staged and that the city should explain how it planned to use available public land.

Cape Times: Khayelitsha residents list their demands

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http://www.capetimes.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=3531&fArticleId=nw20090720110715459C318344

Khayelitsha residents list their demands
20 July 2009, 15:00

About 100 residents of 15 informal settlements within Khayelitsha marched under the banner of Abahlali baseMjondolo to Cape Town mayor Dan Plato’s office on Monday to protest poor service delivery.

A memorandum from each community with its own list of demands was handed to a representative of Plato’s office.

The protesters said in a memorandum they were concerned with the people’s living conditions and the city’s lack of proper intervention.

“We therefore demand that the city look at conditions of each area and come up with relevant planning for each an every area.

“And to come up with city-wide housing planning for all people who are living in informal settlements and backyards.

“Furthermore, we would like the city of Cape Town and its anti-land invasion unit to adopt a different attitude… when it comes to the public land which is unused.

“We demand response from your office within 14 days of receiving this memorandum and we want you to convey a meeting with all the relevant city officials and affected communities to further discuss these issue,” the memorandum read.

Among other things, they demanded land, proper streets, drains to be cleaned regularly, municipal waste collection, clean water and adequate toilets.

More specifically, the “T.T.” section residents demanded the city recognise the number of years the settlement had been in existence and that the area be upgraded.

“We don’t want to be housed elsewhere and we are saying to the city of Cape Town in the meantime people of T.T. must be provided by basic services.”

Residents of “Q.Q.” section demanded the city “stop fooling our people”.

“We want to be relocated as the city promised us with relocation to Bardel Farm [and] we need time frames for relocation.”

The “Macassar Village evictees” said the city’s demolition of their structures they had built to “shelter ourselves was illegal and the city acted in a manner which was shocking to its residents”.

“We therefore demand our building material (that was stolen by the law enforcement) back as soon as possible, [and] that the city must look for alternative accommodation nearby not to the dumping site, Delft TRA.”

Another memorandum from the “U.T. section Egadini” said the density of houses was such that when there was a fire, firefighters had no access to do their job, “so we need streets in order to do that you must remove some residents and allocate them to a serviced land”.

These residents also demanded water taps “that are strong enough to last long” because they were easily broken. Also, there were only four taps serving four hundred households.

Other demands from these and other settlements included high mast lighting for security reasons, proper sanitation and more toilets.

Further demands related to complaints from the “R.R.” section that their homes were flooded in winter, they had no electricity, they wanted proper toilets instead of chemical toilets, and they wanted to be relocated. – Sapa

AbM Western Cape – Demands Presented to Dan Plato on 21 July 2009


Click here for more pictures of the march by Sydelle Willow Smith, here for pictures from Independent Online, here for the report in the Cape Argus and here for the report in the Cape Times.

Update: Click here to read the Cape Town Municipality's response to the AbM Memorandum.

List of community demands
ABAHLALI BASEMJONDOLO OF THE WESTERN CAPE.

As people who are residing within the informal settlement we would like to bring the list of our demands to your attention for your immediate response. We are concerned with the conditions at which our people are living under off and with the city’s lack of proper intervention.We therefore demand that the city to look at conditions of each area and come up with relevant planning for each an every area. And to come up with a city wide housing planning for all people who are living at informal settlement and backyards. Further more we would like the city of cape town and its anti land invasion unit to adopt a different attitude than the one that they are carrying when it comes to the public land which is unused.

We demand response from your office within 14 days of receiving this memorandum and we want you to convey a meeting with all the relevant city officials and affected communities to further discuss these issue
ABM-WC contact details
abmwesterncape@abahlali.org
073 2562 036

QA
1. Residents of QA demand land.
2. Drains must be cleaned regularly
3. Street in between
4. Municipal waste collection
5. Clean Water
6. Adequate Toilets

VV,
VV informal settlement is more than 21 years old, and residents still does not have municipal essential services.
We therefore demands: Proper toilets, clean water, waste collection and we want to know what are cities future plans for VV informal settlement in terms of houses.
K. Mathiwane 072 512 4025

T.T.
We want the city to recognize the number of years that we have been staying here at Tt section, therefore we demand that this area be upgraded where it is, we don’t want to be housed elsewhere and we are saying to the city of Cate Town in the meant time people of tt must be provided by basic services.
Bulelani Cornelius Mfaco
078 350 3887-079 1104940

Demands for Q.Q SECTION

1. The city must stop fooling our people
2. We want to be relocated as the city promised us with relocation to Bardel Farm
3. We need time frames for relocation

MACASSAR VILLAGE evictees

As people of Macassar village we note with great concern that.
1. The city’s demolition of our structures that we have built to shelter our selves was illegal and the city acted in a manner in which was shocking to it’s residents.
2. The city’s stealing of our building material was out of the question, as a result of that, people at Macassar are homeless due to the city’s criminal act.
3. And we are saying Dan Plato must stop undermining people of Macassar village,
4. We therefore demand: our building material (that was stolen by the law enforcement) back as soon as possible
5. That the city must look for alternative accommodation nearby not to the dumping site, Delft TRA.
Andiswa Kolanisi 073 699 1839
Theliwe Macekiswana 083 248 1658
Nomsa Molongana 078 6872 292

MEMORANDUM FROM U.T SECTION EGADINI
1. There is a density of houses in such a way that when there is a fire, fire fighters has no access to do their job so we need streets in order to do that you must remove some residents and allocate them to a serviced land. Another reason we want street is that according to our culture when someone passed away we must take the coffin inside the house before we bury the corpse which is impossible in our area.
2. We need water taps that are strong enough to last long because the one that we have are common when they are broken we fix ourselves nobody is helping us, only four taps is serving four hundred households.
3. We need a tall lamp at the middle of the area so that the whole place can be brighter for our security from the criminals.
4. We also need a proper sanitation because when there are heavy rains the place is full of water.
5. We are the people of U.T Section Egadini we want to know that where do we go from here , Yes we do have light we want to know about the houses.

B. Gumata 072 6738486
M. Mpondo 082 5440 100
V. Ntontela 071 1136 764

W.A
WA informal settlement was established 1986 and the area is a home to 61 families, and does not have even a single toilet and we all depend at 1 water tap and the area is very dense
We therefore demand that if the city cant provide us with essential services because of the area in which we are situated at, then the city must provide us with alternative piece of land with all the basic services within Khayelitsha or nearby Khayelitsha
PHAMBILI NGABAHLALI BEMBACU, PHAMBILI. PHANTSI NGABANTU ABANGAFUNI KUSINIKA MHLABA, PHANTSI.
Ivy Mbotshelwa 083 8960 537
Luntu Mene 078064 7113

RR SECTION
ATTENTION
As RR we are saying people of this city must not only be recognized when it comes to the elections and neglected after them. Political parties must stop using the poor for their own benefits.
OUR DEMANDS:
1. Our houses are flooded because the area in which they are situated at is at flood prone area
2. We don’t have electricity
3. We are saying no to city’s chemical toilets, we demand proper toilet
4. We want to be relocated
Bobhala Thembelani
Secretary

AbM March on Mayor Dan Plato's office

View more presentations from antieviction.

Cape Argus: Protest is ‘the only way to be heard’

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http://www.capeargus.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=5085643

Protest is ‘the only way to be heard’

July 16, 2009 Edition 1

FRANCIS HWESHE and ASHLEIGH BEDDOW

Disgruntled with their living conditions, Khayelitsha residents say that resorting to violent protest is the only way they will force the government to deliver on basic services.

Yesterday, residents of QQ Section in Site B entered their second day of protest action, in which they clashed with the police and burned tyres and rubbish in Lansdowne Road.

On Tuesday, after widespread flooding across the city because of heavy rain, theirs was one of a number of service delivery protests reported, with others in Du Noon and Samora Machel.

The Khayelitsha residents are demanding – among other services – toilets, land for housing, water and an electricity supply from the government.

Hiding behind makeshift shelters yesterday, they pelted police with stones and were in turn fired on with rubber bullets.

When the Cape Argus team arrived at the scene, children as young as seven could be seen at the front of the protest, burning tyres, while some of the adults watched from the sidelines.

Several of the residents said they would not have protested had Mayor Dan Plato visited them “to resolve our problems”.

“We sent a letter to the mayor. He did not respond, seven days later we are taking action,” claimed Bonisizwe Magubudela, 27, who has been living in the area for five years.

A spokesperson for Plato said the mayor had visited the area previously, but could not say when his last visit had been.

“Violence is the answer. We will do more damage if we are not helped. I know violence is wrong, but what more can we do? People are tired of the situation,” Magubudela said.

Asked why children were on the forefront of the protest, Sheila Matika, a mother of two, said: “Our children want to fight for us. They also live in the shacks.”

Another protester, who said he was spending more than R200 a month to use someone else’s toilet and electricity, added that: “Only dogs can live here.”

Asked if violent protests would help achieve their goals, Promise Mkalipi, 37, who has been staying in the area for 13 years, said: “I don’t know about that.”

A resident of MB Section, opposite the QQ Section, said: “Violent action does not help. Barricading roads with stones and rubbish is not the answer. They need to sit down with the government to resolve the matter.”

Another MB Section resident complained: “We don’t know why we should be caught in the crossfire.”

Meanwhile, Macassar Village backyarders, who recently tried to occupy city land in the area illegally, will be joined by other communities on a march to Plato’s office in the city on Monday.

“We will be demanding a piece of land on which to put our shacks,” said Theliwe Macekiswana, the spokeswoman for the residents.

She said they would be demanding the return of building materials, which they allege were confiscated by the city’s anti-land invasion unit.

“The protest is meant to put pressure on government officials. If you burn tyres they will answer. That is what we believe,” she said.

Housing lobby group Abahlali baseMjondolo said in a statement that 15 informal settlements throughout Khayelitsha would participate in the march.

“(The protesters) will submit their own list of demands with a view to making their voices heard by the new mayor of the City of Cape Town,” the statement said.

Khayelitsha communities, such as the residents of sections QQ; RR; BM; PRS and NN would also be taking part in the protest, the group claimed.