[DEBATE] : (Fwd) Protest zones: Soweto, Ennerdale, DuNoon, Wallacedene

[Patrick Bond]

Anger over RDPs
18 May 2009
Katlego Moeng

AFTER THE STORM: Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional 
Affairs Sicelo Shiceka visits Finetown informal settlement in Enerdale 
to calm down tempers and address residents who went on a rampage over 
RDP houses. PHOTO: MOHAU MOFoKENG

MEC Khabisi Mosunkutu
Residents go on rampage after council tells them their land is not habitable

Left to solve the problems that besieged his predecessors, Minister of 
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Sicelo Shiceka had to 
visit Finetown informal settlement in Enerdale, south of Johannesburg, 
yesterday to calm down angry residents.

The community had gone on rampage on Saturday, stoning a multi-purpose 
community centre, a councillor’s car, a nearby shop and the shop owner’s 
car. They also set a government car alight.

It is understood that the community almost set the local clinic alight 
but were convinced not to do so by security guards.

The attacks followed a report- back meeting by local councillor Freedom 
Sotshantsha, who told them that the council would not be able to build 
RDP houses on the piece of land they were staying in because it was 
dolomitic.

Shiceka was accompanied by Gauteng community safety MEC Khabisi Mosunkutu.

Another reason for not building the houses there was that the land was 
on the path of Eskom’s pylons.

“The people say they want to have the area developed, but it is 
un-developable, we need alternative options.

“This is what triggered the attacks,” said Sotshantsha.

Matibela Bereng, a ward committee member, said: “I ran to my car with 
residents hot on my heels.”

All windows of his car were smashed.

Sotshantsha told Shiceka and Mosunkutu that he had information that 
people in the community were reconvening, buying petrol and planning 
another attack.

Mosunkutu said: “People have the right to protest (but) no one has the 
right to attack someone.”

He said that he would make sure the police “deal decisively” with the 
culprits of “crime and terror”.

Asked whether he did not address the community personally because he 
feared for his safety, Shiceka said: “There can be ‘no-go’ areas for 
democratically elected leaders. We cannot runaway from our people.”

***

Minister slams violence - but avoids going to scene

A government minister has condemned the violence that broke out in 
Meriting informal settlement outside Ennerdale, but neglected going to 
the area himself.

This is because the situation was still deemed volatile yesterday - a 
day after residents from the nearby Finetown North and Meriting informal 
settlements attacked their councillor, government officials and 
municipal and private property over service delivery.

Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Sicelo 
Shiceka was expected to "calm down tempers and address residents" during 
his visit to the area, according to a statement.

But instead Shiceka and Gauteng Community Safety MEC Khabisi Mosunkutu 
threatened to crack down on instigators and perpetrators.

"We are shocked and dismayed by these barbaric acts aimed at instilling 
terror," Shiceka said yesterday.

"No one has the right to protest in the manner that they did. This is a 
pure criminal matter and we will deal with it decisively," he said.

He called on the police to be vigilant until peace was restored in the area.

Earlier, the minister inspected some of the damaged properties, 
including the site of a burnt-out car and a shop that had some of its 
windows shattered with stones.

"This is the boss of the police. He is going to ensure that the matter 
is attended to," said Shiceka, introducing the MEC to the shopkeeper.

Ennerdale has had a long history of violent protests against poor 
service delivery dating from 2006.

Saturday's attacks were sparked by a report by the community's 
councillor, Freedom Sotshantsha, stating that the area could not be 
developed because the land was dolomitic.

The report also mentioned the overhead electric power lines running 
through the areas as the cause for non-development.

In the mayhem that followed, the multipurpose community centre was 
stoned, a car was burnt and several other cars and businesses were 
damaged. The local clinic was almost burnt down, while a local 
government official had to be hospitalised after receiving serious injuries.

Sotshantsha described the situation as calm but tense and appealed for 
police presence.

By Lebogang Seale The Star 18/05/09e1

***


Automobile workers protest in E Cape
Sapa Published:May 18, 2009

At least 300 automobile workers protested outside two branches of 
General Motors in the Eastern Cape, the National Union of Metalworkers 
(NUM) said.

Regional organiser Andile Zitho said they had started protesting at 
midday during the lunch break and would continue each lunch break until 
next Monday when they were to appear in the Labour Court.

Zitho said on Friday the union had requested the court to convene an 
urgent session to have General Motors SA declare at least 300 dismissals 
null and void, on the grounds that it did not comply with Section 189a 
of the Labour Relations Act.

He said the act stipulated that the company must try to find meaningful 
ways to avoid retrenchments, and to allow fair criteria in terms of the 
retrenchment process.

"When we look at the type of packages the workers got, it was minimal 
and in no way fair. They did not engage meaningful ways," said Zitho.

A court date was set down for Monday, May 25.

Since January 2008, about 1000 workers had been retrenched but Zitho 
stressed the court action was only related to about 300 retrenched workers.

"Until the court hearing, we will continue to strike during the lunch 
break."

***

Cape Times

More barricades on way - protesters
We'll close Koeberg Road and N7 if we don't get land, say Du Noon residents

May 18, 2009 Edition 1

Luleka Damane

Residents of Site 5 in Du Noon have vowed to continue burning tyres on 
Koeberg Road and the N7 freeway if the provincial government ignores 
their demands for land and services.

The residents, who started protesting yesterday, are demanding that a 
piece of privately owned land near the N7, which is set to be sold to a 
private company, instead be sold to the provincial government so housing 
can be built on it for them.

Cape Town Traffic Services media spokeswoman Merle Lourens said this 
morning that Potsdam Road, which runs through the informal settlement, 
was still closed. However, she said it was due to be reopened this 
morning after debris dumped by protesters last night was cleared.

After the weekend's torrential rain, residents also complained yesterday 
that their shacks were flooded.

"It is better to be out in the streets protesting because our houses are 
full of water now and we want to move from this place," said resident 
Zoliswa Gila.

She said that when they voted in April they had done it for better 
service delivery.

"Site 5 is on private land and the owner of this land refuses to install 
electricity and water instalment. Now we are vulnerable to thieves and 
rapists because it is dark," she said.
Click here!

Another resident, who declined to give his name, said mayor Dan Plato 
should see the way they lived. "We want him to come here; we have had 
enough of this place. We want land where we can get water and 
electricity," he said.

Albert Mazula, also of Site 5, said shacks were built too close to each 
other, which had made it difficult to move belongings when a fire broke 
out recently, razing at least 30 shacks.

A fourth resident, Mzonke Madlokazi, warned that residents would close 
Koeberg Road and the N7 for the whole week if they were ignored by the 
provincial government.

"Houses were promised to us a long time ago and they said we must vote 
if we want to complain. We voted, so now we are complaining," he said.

Residents alleged that shots were fired to disperse protesters picketing 
outside community leaders' houses yesterday.

Table View police this morning confirmed yesterday's protests, but 
declined to comment further, saying only that a statement would be 
released later today.

There were no reports of any protest action this morning.

***

Sunday Times

Will this be Mount Kerzner?
Bobby Jordan Published:May 17, 2009

A Famous mountain peak due to be auctioned in two months may end up 
being named after a foreign celebrity — because the current name was 
never officially declared.

Internationally known as The Sentinel, the 321m-high Cape Town landmark 
in Hout Bay has come to the attention of a short list of celebrities and 
tycoons including Oprah Winfrey, Sol Kerzner, Donald Trump jnr as well 
as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The 10ha peak will be auctioned off to a select group of invited guests 
and their representatives — despite protests from residents and 
government authorities.

The auctioneers confirmed that the new owners will be able to name the 
peak after themselves — if they wish: “We’ve had it checked out by our 
attorneys. It’s private property so you can in fact name it what you 
like,” said Leno de Villiers from the Julius Buchinsky Group. “The 
Sentinel was just a name that was given to it, but it was not registered 
and there’s no trademark,” he said.

If Sol Kerzner were to buy the mountain, there would be nothing stopping 
him from renaming it Mount Kerzner, De Villiers added.

Kerzner is one of several tycoons to receive an invitation to the July 
16 auction. The Sun King already owns other properties in the Hout Bay 
area, including a section of Little Lion’s Head above Sandy Bay.

The auction has generated massive publicity — good and bad — since news 
first broke last year that the owners wanted to sell. De Villiers said 
they had turned down two offers, including one for R15-million, despite 
the fact that they bought the property for only R60 000 in 2005.

But news of the auction has sparked fierce protest from residents 
opposed to the sale.

A landless community living on the lower slopes of the mountain say they 
will stage a protest march to draw attention to their plight. Government 
officials are also up in arms, claiming the Sentinel has been earmarked 
for inclusion into the Table Mountain National Park, which borders the 
controversial property.

The man who will sell the mountain is auctioneer Shlomo Bitton from the 
Julius Buchinsky Group, a veteran in the business who will wield the 
hammer in July.

Bitton said: “I’ve been doing auctioneering for 28 years. We’ve 
auctioned some unusual properties and a (Boeing) 747 — but we haven’t 
auctioned a mountain yet. It looks to me like an ego thing. Somebody 
wants to say this is my mountain, I own a mountain.”

***

SABC

Cape Town residents barricade roads over poor service delivery May 15 
2009 , 1:09:00

A group of angry residents at Wallacedene, near Cape Town, have 
barricaded roads to protest over service delivery. However, police moved 
swiftly to quell the uprising. The protesters later gathered outside the 
Kraaifontein Police Station demanding that some of the protesters who 
had been taken in by the police, be released.

They say they are fed-up with the slow pace of delivery of housing. 
Newly appointed City of Cape Town Mayor, Dan Plato, has appealed to the 
Wallacedene residents to be patient.

Plato says plans are underway to build over 1 000 low cost housing units 
in Wallacedene pending the approval of housing development plans by the 
province. Plato said over 3 000 housing units have already been built in 
Wallacedene, which is one of the biggest housing projects in the City.