UDM leader Bantu Holomisa has urged anxious Joe Slovo residents to take their grievances straight to the top structures of government if they want any action to be taken.
The residents face eviction to make way for the flagship housing project, the N2 Gateway.
But in a desperate move to halt their removal and avoid being moved to Delft, the residents appealed against the Cape High Court's order and are now, albeit only temporarily, safe from eviction pending the outcome of the application.
Holomisa on Wednesday gave an undertaking to write an open letter to President Thabo Mbeki asking him to intervene.
The residents, mostly from the Joe Slovo informal settlement, gathered in their hundreds at a Langa community hall on Wednesday night in the hope of being thrown a lifeline.
Most were concerned that Delft, which has been identified as their temporarily living area until the housing project is complete, was too far from their workplaces and schools.
Holomisa told residents they had to ignore provincial structures and report straight to the ANC headquarters, Luthuli House, and national government if they wanted anything done.
Holomisa insisted he was "not taking advantage of the situation" to pick up votes come election time and said he was there by invitation to advise the residents to raise their housing concerns with government and the ANC and to insist on making more viable options available to them.
"You must talk to national government because this route of going to court is going to cost you at the end of the day. Government cannot remove people without giving them options," he said.
"I am advising you to go to the influential people who can make a change. You must expect that the (court) judgment can be against you when you appeal, which shows that government policy is against the poor."
Holomisa also lambasted the ANC, saying that infighting as a result of Jacob Zuma's gaining the ANC presidency last year had blinded the movement to its responsibility to provide adequate housing.
"The situation is very uneven. The change of leadership in the ANC has disturbed government.
"That means people on the ground are not going to be the government's priority right now their infighting for power is going to affect the poor people."
Holomisa also urged the community not to use violent tactics to attract the attention of the government as it would jeopardise their situation. - Cape Argus
The residents face eviction to make way for the flagship housing project, the N2 Gateway.
But in a desperate move to halt their removal and avoid being moved to Delft, the residents appealed against the Cape High Court's order and are now, albeit only temporarily, safe from eviction pending the outcome of the application.
| Holomisa insisted he was "not taking advantage of the situation" to pick up votes come election time |
The residents, mostly from the Joe Slovo informal settlement, gathered in their hundreds at a Langa community hall on Wednesday night in the hope of being thrown a lifeline.
Most were concerned that Delft, which has been identified as their temporarily living area until the housing project is complete, was too far from their workplaces and schools.
Holomisa told residents they had to ignore provincial structures and report straight to the ANC headquarters, Luthuli House, and national government if they wanted anything done.
Holomisa insisted he was "not taking advantage of the situation" to pick up votes come election time and said he was there by invitation to advise the residents to raise their housing concerns with government and the ANC and to insist on making more viable options available to them.
"You must talk to national government because this route of going to court is going to cost you at the end of the day. Government cannot remove people without giving them options," he said.
"I am advising you to go to the influential people who can make a change. You must expect that the (court) judgment can be against you when you appeal, which shows that government policy is against the poor."
Holomisa also lambasted the ANC, saying that infighting as a result of Jacob Zuma's gaining the ANC presidency last year had blinded the movement to its responsibility to provide adequate housing.
"The situation is very uneven. The change of leadership in the ANC has disturbed government.
"That means people on the ground are not going to be the government's priority right now their infighting for power is going to affect the poor people."
Holomisa also urged the community not to use violent tactics to attract the attention of the government as it would jeopardise their situation. - Cape Argus
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