Protests are Mbeki’s fault, says Sexwale

Human settlements minister Tokyo Sexwale has blamed councillors elected during former President Thabo Mbeki’s administration for the latest wave of violent protests at service delivery.

Sexwale said people were not against President Jacob Zuma’s government, but against the municipalities aligned to the previous administration.

Sexwale said it was “inconceivable that people could revolt against Zuma’s government, which had been established just three months ago.

“There is a disconnect between us (leaders) and our people. This is quite clear. The people are not demonstrating against a three month-old government.

“They voted us into power three months ago. They are simply saying leaders in the past have done things wrong and they want to tell us.”

Sexwale did not mince his words, adding that “ this is a new administration, although we are a continuing government of the ANC. That is why Polokwane happened. We needed change”.

‘People are angry at municipalities aligned to former regime’

‘They are simply saying leaders in the past have done things wrong and they want to tell us’

‘(The) housing (department) has built 2.8 million houses. Housing is not a problem but poverty is’

He emphasised that people wanted the government to hear about the challenges they have had to face for a long time.

However, he warned the protesters that blockading roads, looting, and burning buildings “was not on and would not resolve the problems. It is not acceptable to use methods of violence to bring the message to us.”

He said he had been studying the situation in all areas where the violent protests had erupted, adding that many wanted jobs before houses.

“It is a fact that (the) housing (department) has built 2.8 million houses, whether good or bad. Housing is not a problem but poverty is.”

Sexwale said he visited Diepsloot informal settlement (in Gauteng) last week. “Most (of the people there) were clear that they did not want houses.”

There are 2000 informal settlements in the country and Sexwale said he intended to visit all of them.

“I want to go back to Diepsloot and sleep over with my officials to get to understand the problem. There has been a disconnect between them and the leaders, which has left our people at the hands of some unscrupulous mayors and councillors.”

Sexwale said that during his visit to Diepsloot, “a lot of people asked for jobs. People’s problems vary and are different. We cannot come with a one-size-fits-all strategy to resolve them.

“For instance, there is a man who runs a successful taxi business in Diepsloot who does not want to be moved but wants services like water, toilets and electricity in the area.”

Sexwale said other people had become landlords, owning about four shacks in their back yards and charging monthly rentals of R800.

“These are people who have to be moved because their houses are built on a sewage pipe but they are worried about their business. So do we destroy that economy or listen to them and plan accordingly?”

But he said human settlement was about more than housing. “The crisis now is about urbanisation, a challenge that was at some point going to catch up with the new South Africa. All metropolitan areas have had an influx of people looking for wealth.”

He explained that, as was the case worldwide, many people had left rural areas and settled in places where there was a lack of basic services because they wanted to live in urban areas and look for work.

Sexwale said the problem had been compounded by the global recession, when the economy needed 6% growth.

“The global downturn has put more pressure on us.”

- The Times