Displaced residents of Fynbos in East London have threatened to approach the office of the President, if the Buffalo City Metro (BCM) and the Eastern Cape government fail to resolve the ongoing housing stand-off among residents.
The two-phased multi-million-rand East Bank RDP project has created tensions between illegal occupants and the intended recipients.
Last month, the metro secured a court interdict instructing the illegal occupants to vacate the houses but they’ve defied it.
They want the premier’s office to intervene. Nosicelo Nelani a resident of Fynbos says “What have we done to our houses? Why are we in this situation today? Who will assist us if not BCM? Where must must we go, we have lost hope, but no matter what we are going to approach the president.”
Another resident, Nomathamsanqa Mguda says “Who is going to build houses for us? Maybe we are going to die like those before us who died in those bungalows, we wish to die in our houses.”
The director in the office of the Premier, Luntu Sokutu, says the matter is receiving urgent attention.
“This is a matter that has been there since last year and we agreed with the committee on the processes that we must follow that will include all the stakeholders that are involved in that housing project including the committee that represents a number of people in those houses and those who are there in those houses illegally as reported to us.”
