About 100 Delft residents who are living in temporary structures while waiting for the government to provide them with RDP houses, blocked Symphony Way Road by burning tyres in a protest over their living conditions on Wednesday.
This demonstration was the latest in a series of such protests in the area. Two weeks ago, residents burnt tyres on the same road for the same reason.
The residents also accuse the Housing Development Agency (HDA) of illegally selling houses and say they need the security of knowing that RDP houses will definitely be built for them.
Singing and carrying placards while overturning rubbish bins, the residents marched to the offices of the HDA to demand answers.
Masonwabe Gubu, 56, said they had been protesting since Monday and on Tuesday night, during a community meeting, the residents decided to burn tyres to show their anger.
He said that residents living in the Temporary Relocation Areas (TRAs) had enough of staying there, claiming they were told they would live in the TRA temporarily, but believe that the city
of Cape Town and the provincial government have no plans to allocate RDP houses to them.
He said the reason the community decided to burn tyres was because the HDA kept postponing scheduled meetings.
Resident Abongile Chama, 39, who has been living in the TRA for the last four years, said she and her neighbours deserved to be allocated a house from the new homes being built in Delft and the surrounding areas.
“When we first came here, the government told us we would be moved soon to RDP houses,” said Chama. She said she knew of people who had bought houses who were connected to HDA officials.
The area’s ward councillor, Khayalethu Makeleni, is on record as saying that he also has proof that people have been sold houses by the HDA.
Bruce Oom, spokesperson for the provincial human settlement department MEC, Bonginkosi Madikizela, said department officials had been deployed to the area to discuss the residents’ frustrations. – WCN
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