The National Coloured Congress (NCC) took to the streets to protest against a Prasa plan to relocate illegal squatters from Philippi to Mitchells Plain.
NCC leader Fadiel Adams says moving the nearly 1 000 squatters to the the area opposite Westgate Mall, known as the Weltevreden Wedge, is a recipe for disaster and no one except Prasa will win.
The peaceful protest on Wednesday night along Jakes Gerwel Drive came after the City of Cape Town confirmed that the Prasa (Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa) had bought the land and subsequently submitted applications for rezoning it for human settlements development, along with the implementing agent, the Housing Development Agency (HDA).
Prasa wants to remove nearly 800 shacks built illegally along the railway lines in Langa and Philippi as it struggles to restore the Central Line.
The line was populated just before the pandemic lockdown in 2020 and Prasa has thus far failed to secure an eviction order against the squatters.
Mitchells Plain ward councillor Elton Jansen has slammed Prasa’s move and called on the community to comment on the application.
He says moving the squatters to the Wedge will be a disaster as there are no schools or public transport, while there are already two other informal settlements in that area.
He says the City won’t be able to deliver basic services as it will be on private land.
Adams already predicts protests along Jakes Gerwel Drive as mense demand services, as is currently the case with Siqalo residents.
“We don’t want these people there, they are going to have a service delivery protest soon.
“They are going to be stoning our cars and hurting our women and children, they will be locking Mitchells Plain out of work,” he said.
Adams says the relocation will fail to address the lack of housing and schools innie Plain.
“Why must the coloured people always suffer, what is going to happen with the backyarders?
“Our children already can’t get into [local] schools.”
Last month Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis confirmed that the City would assist Prasa and the HDA in the relocation of the squatters. Prasa regional manager Moseli Ntsiki didn’t respond to queries by deadline on Thursday.
Adams questioned why integration seemingly only happens in coloured areas.
“How many coloured families are you seeing getting houses in predominantly black townships where RDP houses are being built,” he asked.
“Every time there is a development, we must give away 80% of the housing, like we don’t have a backyard problem of our own.”
The public is urged to submit their comments on the Prasa/HDA application in line with the Municipal Planning By-Law before November 27.
byron.lukas@inl.co.za