Mayor's land pact with Gugs protesters
TRUCE CALLED: Patricia de Lille addressed protesters’ grievances over land at Gugs Sports Complex TRUCE CALLED: Patricia de Lille addressed protesters’ grievances over land at Gugs Sports Complex
A temporary truce has been called between Gugulethu backyarders and the City of Cape Town following a meeting with Mayor Patricia de Lille yesterday, after days of violent land invasions and rioting.
The protests, which started last week, resulted in parts of the N2 highway being shut down over the weekend as angry residents burnt tyres, lined the streets with bricks and broke traffic lights after shacks erected on several vacant plots in Gugulethu were demolished by law enforcement officials.
Yesterday, residents filled the Gugulethu Sports Complex where De Lille offered to procure vacant land for them.
Community leader, Mirvin Tshabalala, called for action against ANC councillor Bongani Ngcombolo and DA councillor Anthony Moses for ignoring the community’s pleas for help.
Other residents threatened to close all voting stations during the next elections if their issues were not addressed.
“We are not going to be ignored. They can go and for the first time we will elect our own councillor from Gugulethu,” one man shouted.
De Lille called on residents to lodge formal complaints against the councillors.
IN AGREEMENT: Gugs residents overjoyed at promise of land
“If they’ve done anything wrong, there are two ways we can address it. There is a code of conduct for councillors and there is a code of conduct for councillors with their political parties,” she explained.
“I need the complaints about the two councillors and I will take it to council to be investigated and we also have to give them an opportunity to respond.”
It was also revealed that some of the vacant properties where shacks were erected are privately owned and De Lille cautioned residents against illegal land invasions.
“As the City, we are prepared to go with you to approach those landowners because they also have rights,” she said.
“If we talk to them and they are prepared to sell the land or give the land to us, there will be peace. But if you go and keep on invading private land, there is nothing I can do as the mayor.”
The meeting ended shortly before 1pm where residents agreed that they would not protest until Thursday when De Lille would meet with community leaders to provide solutions.