IN PICS | Hundreds protest in rain against landless in posh Ballito

Shack dwellers movement Abahlali baseMjondolo has accused the leadership of the troubled KwaDukuza municipality of “building an alliance” with the wealthy white elite to evict landless people from the municipality.

“The issue of KwaDukuza is very worrying and devastating for us. Vulnerable and destitute people who are owners of this country are being forcibly removed. Its an insult to black people 31 years after democracy,” said the movement's president Sibusiso Zikode.

He was speaking during a march in heavy rain on Friday to the Durban city hall where he handed a memorandum to national co-operative governance and traditional affairs minister Velenkosini Hlabisa.

Hlabisa accepted the memorandum on behalf of human settlements minister Thembi Simelane.

Zikode said the growth of Ballito over the years could be attributed to the black workforce. “It's shack dwellers who had a hand. Now all of a sudden shack dwellers are no longer wanted because the town has been built. There are black Boers who are running KwaDukuza,” he said.

He said they were constantly being snubbed by the municipality when trying to come up with solutions.

“Hlabisa the response which we get is that our matter is now before courts. They are brave to take black people who are landless to court. These are also the same people who have voted for them,” said Zikode.

The KwaDukuza municipality has gone to court to evict 980 families from the informal settlement in Shakas Head and move them to what activists call a “human dumping ground” far from their workplaces, schools and communities.

Zikode said they were calling for land, decent housing and dignity.

“We demand the upgrading of shack settlements where we live and not forced removals. We want housing where we live because we have reasons for being here. There is a programme for upgrading informal settlements which the eThekwini municipality is slow in implementing. We also want provision of services such as water, electricity and sanitation.”

He said the community of Enduduzweni informal settlement in uMlazi had suffered far too long without the intervention of government and the eThekwini municipality who had given land to Mangosuthu University of Technology without their knowledge.

“We demand a fair engagement with this community,” Zikode said.

Zikode also fired a broadside at transport and infrastructure MEC Siboniso Duma saying he had neglected his infrastructure portfolio in lieu of the transport portfolio.

“Duma is too focused on transport. We want a MEC who will tackle issues of housing. Duma clearly does not have time for informal settlements ... We are not saying roads infrastructure is not important but who's going to use those roads if people are without decent houses?”

Hlabisa said he understood the community's plight and was not surprised at the turnout of people despite the weather.

“We know that even in these rains you suffer due to your living conditions. We also know during canvassing for elections we are the ones who come to you and we know the exact conditions you live in,” he said.

Hlabisa said he noted the outcry over some municipalities.

“Some of the grievances will be relayed to the relevant departments. We will have a meeting with the national leaders of the movement and come up with a workable solution,” he said.

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