We need to help our brothers
2006-09-07
IT is unacceptable for people to live under circumstances such as the informal settlers in Drommedaris Street, says Mayor Charmaine Manuel.
She spoke at an information meeting last week, following dissatisfaction in Groenheuwel, Paarl East, over the proposed resettlement of the shack dwellers on the open land across the road from them in Jan van Riebeeck Drive.
The Drommedaris Street residents were transported to the meeting.
“We can’t talk about people without them being present,” said the mayor.
“We are not insensitive to the views of the Groenheuwel community. All people are concerned about the unknown.
“Our first reaction is to see the negative, and we understand this. On the other hand, everyone wants a roof over his head and a warm bed,” she said and asked the audience to remain calm.
Councillor Arthob Petersen, portfolio holder for housing, then took the floor and said Council will be cowardly not to address some of the rumours doing the rounds in the community.
“There is nothing secret about the resettlement,” he said. “Our sole purpose is to bring relief to people living in precarious circumstances.”
He sketched the situation in Drommedaris Street: 584 families live in shacks boxed in between the railway lines and the road, with power lines overhead.
“You don’t need to be Einstein to see this is unbearable - people will die in the process.”
He said since the first shacks were put up in Drommedaris Street in 1996, 83 people had died: 35 on the railway tracks, 42 on the road and six in fires.
“It is our responsibility to bring relief,” he said and praised the people for their patience.
Plans for resettlement came after the devastating shack fires in the Drommedaris Street informal settlement at the beginning of 2003.
It was then decided that the shack dwellers should be resettled as a matter of urgency.
This was not as easy as Council had hoped, because of a lack of available land.
“It would also not have been responsible town management to just put people on land, without the necessary tests to ensure they would be able to exist within humanly acceptable circumstances.”
He explained that they employed a company to run a public participation process, followed by a traffic impact study, as well as doing geo-technical studies on the ground.
In December the Municipality asked for tenders and in March the earthworks started.
It was only then that they received a series of complaints, mainly about the possible increase in crime.
"Crime afflicts the whole world, every possible residential area,” he stated and went on to give a list of crimes committed in Groenheuwel.
He said shacks were not a rarity in Groenheuwel itself. According to a random sample by the housing department, there are 351 informal structures in backyards in Groenheuwel.
“There is nothing wrong with this. I help my brother, that is the way we were raised.
“So, what makes this resettlement then such a terrible, unacceptable matter?” he wanted to know.
“This resettlement is well thought-out to give deliverance to people in absolutely unacceptable circumstances.”
The meeting went off without major disruptions. Questions were asked to highlight some of the concerns.
Petersen fielded most of the questions, repeating some of the information, and giving assurances where necessary.
He explained once again that the project would consist of serviced erven with toilets, where beneficiaries may erect their own homes.
Hopefully the resettlement can start early in 2007.
The only incident to mar the evening came when a frustrated resident from Groenheuwel who had tried to pull down his pants in anger, was removed from the hall.
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