Khayelitsha residents bash councillors and political parties

Lack of housing, crime and gangs and poor service delivery in informal settlements are some of the issues that residents raised at a community imbizo held at the Mey Way Hall in Khayelitsha on Thursday. They spared none of the councillors from scathing criticism, the ANC, EFF, Patriotic Alliance, Good Party, Umkhonto weSizwe, People’s Movement for Change, Rise Mzansi and DA included. Their representatives did not miss the opportunity of the imbizo to campaign for their parties.

The imbizo was organised by Solidarity Space, Ndifuna Ukwazi and My Vote Counts. Solidarity Space is “a collective of land and housing movements from across Cape Town, including Housing Assembly, Intlungu Yase Mtotyotombeni, Indibano Yabahlali, and Reclaim the City. The collective represents thousands of Black, Coloured, and Indian households who continue to endure undignified and inadequate housing, a stark reminder of apartheid’s scars that remain, unabated, 30 years into democracy.”

Rasheed Isaacs from Manenberg decried the lack of housing and transparency around the housing waiting list. Approximately 630,000 people are still sitting on the housing waiting list in the Western Cape, according to Housing Assembly.

“We also have a big problem of crime and gangsterism in our communities,” Isaac said.

As far as Thandeka Pamla from Khayelitsha can tell, no sphere of government prioritises housing. “There is always land of temporary relocation areas but no land to build houses. Why build temporary housing when you can build proper houses on the same piece of land? It seems as if land is available for business only. Why is it that you are concerned with making profits over the needs of people?.”

Speaking of the informal settlements that were established during the Covid lockdown, she said they are not serviced. Politicians in gumboots have visited them, but only ever to campaign for votes in her experience.

Disability activist, Khanyo Mantshi, who has cerebral palsy and is in a wheelchair, questioned the timing of community meetings that are called by ward councillors. “Why do you always have meetings at 7 in the evening. How do you expect people who have disability or on wheelchair to go to the meetings?” he declared. Disabled people should be prioritised when it comes to houses and service delivery, but are not, he said.

Councillors respond

City of Cape Town’s MMC for Finance, Siseko Mbandezi was the first to venture a response to the grievances but instead used much of his time politicking. Responding to the charge that councillors are corrupt, he said: “We should not be painted with the same brush. Anyone who knows of a ward councillor that is corrupt must go to the police,” he said. It was at this point that some sections of the over 1,000-strong crowd started to boo.

Ndifuna Ukwazi’s head of campaigns restored order, asking Mbandezi to address himself to the grievances and for the crowd to allow the him to finish his input.

He continued talking up the City of Cape Town’s R40-billion investment in infrastructure development, creating 130,000 jobs in the construction industry. When he claimed the City of Cape Town has released land for affordable housing in a number of areas, the crowd did not want to hear any more of it and he was booed off-stage.

Political parties sharing the stage at the imbizo in Khayelitsha.

Ndithini Tyhido, the regional leader of the ANC said that the last time there was transparency in the housing waiting list in the City of Cape Town was when the party was in charge.

Good Party’s PR councillor, Axolile Notywala said that they are taking the City of Cape Town to court for unreasonable electricity tariffs.

Linda Mazwi from the EFF said that they are engaging the City of Cape Town to continue with Dial-a-Ride services for disabled people. The City of Cape Town has announced that as from this month, the Dial-a-Ride service will only be available for wheelchair users and people with severe walking impairments.

A recent survey by Ipsos reveals that eight in ten South Africans say the country is heading in the wrong direction. The survey also shows that South Africans favour coalition rule in local government.