Hundreds of shack dwellers from Joe Slovo in Langa, Cape Town, have marched to the Western Cape Department of Infrastructure to hand over a memorandum demanding houses they claim were meant for them. The houses are part of the Joe Slovo N2 Gateway Housing Project, which saw nearly 2,000 people benefit.
The residents alleged that they received title deeds from the City of Cape Town, certifying them as beneficiaries, but they say the houses have been occupied by other people.
They are demanding answers from the authorities. They claim that more than 100 residents were excluded from benefiting from the project.
Resident Mawande Mbulawa says, “Some other residents here get the printout or the title deed, and they can see where their houses are, but they are so scared to confront the person that is occupying the house because anything can happen. They fear for their lives, and they know that it’s the government that allocates those houses. So that’s why now we have embarked on this strike because we don’t want to confront those people because anything can happen.”
Another resident, Nobonke Mathombela, says she went to the housing department to inquire about her late son’s house, as he was the beneficiary. She claims that she was told that she could not have the house.
“When I went to the house, I noticed that someone else was living in the house. The house was registered under my son. When my son passed away, I was told by the department that the person who could claim the house was me, his mother. And the person who currently owns it won’t be given another title. That’s why I’m here today.”
The Western Cape Director of Public Information and Infrastructure, Nathan Adriaanse, says they will investigate the matter.
“Here’s a son who made an application and passed away. The mother is now claiming that unit. We again have to look at the process that was followed and what the son said. Can his mother now have the house after his passing? We cannot be making any statement of fact around that particular; we’ve got to look into it in its entirety.”
Also, the authenticity of the alleged title deeds will need to be verified.
Many of these beneficiaries who are standing here are waving documents alleging that they have been allocated a unit. What that document really means is that it merely identifies them as an individual for the project. It does not mean that they are allocated a unit. And again, one of the things we must also say is that when you have a document like that, it does not mean that you are going to receive a unit.
The residents have vowed that they won’t rest until their grievances are met.
