Wednesday, September 22, 2010

The city is lying, say frustrated residents

Lee-Anne Abrahams lives with 11 relatives in her small house in Hangberg. She has lived in the area for four decades. Like many other residents, she is unemployed and in desperate need of a house.

She lives with her four children and five grandchildren in a structure built between the council rental flats: "No one ever comes here. They only make us empty promises. I've lived here for more than 40 years. I'm 46 years old, so I grew up here."

She said no housing plan had been forthcoming from authorities and unemployment made it worse: "Only the foreigners get houses and they build townhouses right next to us. They (City of Cape Town) chase us away and tell us this is their place," said Abrahams.

Her son, Eugene Abrahams, said a lack of communication was a major problem. He had never seen the area's ward councillor, Marga Haywood.

"Haywood only goes to the white people in Hout Bay. She's the mayor of Hout Bay, and here in Hangberg, people don't even know her. She's done nothing for us," said Abrahams.

Greg Louw of the Hout Bay Civic Association said authorities were spreading lies when they said residents were delaying development.

"The city lies and the premier is lying.

"We had meetings and all we want is a commitment that will restore and start development in Hangberg," said Louw.

Timothy Jacobs of the ANC regional task team said violence and the demolition of structures would not solve the problem: "The ANC condemns all forms of violence. We can't go back to apartheid."

Jacobs said the city had allowed more townhouses to be built in the historically white part of Hout Bay than in Imizamo Yethu and Hangberg combined.

The reason the Democratic Alliance had won the ward was because of "racist tactics" that divided the black and coloured communities of Imizamo Yethu and Hangberg, he said.

"No one is obstructing anything. This is a city initiative, (so) why isn't (mayor) Dan Plato here?" asked Jacobs.

- Cape Times

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