Residents of Madiba Park held a municipal worker hostage, accusing the Sol Plaatje Municipality of failing to clear the area to allow for the settlement’s formalisation into proper erven.
RESIDENTS of Madiba Park held a municipal worker hostage on November 22, accusing the Sol Plaatje Municipality of failing to clear the area to allow for the settlement’s formalisation into proper erven.
During the protest, community members set tyres alight behind the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature and “confiscated” the keys of a municipal vehicle.
The driver, who was collecting refuse in the area, reported that although he was not physically harmed, the ordeal left him traumatised and unable to continue working for the remainder of the day.
Residents had submitted a petition and tried to convene meetings with the housing and town planning units this week.
They expressed frustration over unfulfilled promises to formalise the area and separate the erven of over 1,300 shacks on the site.
A community member, Bonolo Thlomolong, said residents have been waiting for over a decade for the settlement to be formalised.
“We are tired of waiting. Every time we are given false promises. The shacks are erected in a haphazard manner, posing a fire risk. We rely on pit latrines that are never cleaned, and the entire community shares just three taps. During water shutdowns, we are not provided with any water,” Thlomolong said.
Another resident, Kagisho Senwedi, added that the area was used as a dumping site, while refuse was not being collected.
“They should hold a by-election in the area. We will rather vote for opposition parties because our ward councillors, who are the mayor and Speaker, are not doing their jobs,” Senwedi added.
The Speaker of the Sol Plaatje Municipality, Nomizizi Shwababa, addressed the community on Friday and promised that municipal workers would work overtime to clear the area.
She condemned the residents’ actions during the protest but reassured them of the municipality’s commitment to resolving the issues.
Municipal spokesperson Thabo Mothibi said that the housing and town planning units had approved the formalisation of the area.
“Our cleansing unit has deployed a team to clear the area once again, and clearing is currently under way,” Mothibi said.
He added that a setback was experienced when the pegs used for erf markings were stolen.
“The relocation process will unfold. Residents have been kept posted through a series of community meetings,” Mothibi added.
By late Friday afternoon, residents confirmed that municipal workers had arrived on site at 1pm, as promised, to begin clearing the area.
