You're going nowhere‚ De Lille assures Imizamo Yethu residents

Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille rebuked Western Cape housing MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela on Friday for suggesting residents of Imizamo Yethu in Hout Bay would be moved 30km away.

Madikizela made the comment in a media interview three days after violent protests by the Imizamo Yethu residents ended following meetings with De Lille.

The mayor issued a statement ensuring residents‚ who have been living in emergency shelters since a fire in March destroyed 5,500 homes‚ they would be staying in Hout Bay.

“The city wants to put it on record and ensure residents that (relocation) is not part of the city’s programme. This has never been part of previous or current discussions during the weekly meetings between the city and the community leadership‚” she said.

“We advise the community to disregard the MEC’s comment.”

Following three days of protests in which a police bullet killed a 30-year-old man‚ De Lille appointed a new management team on Tuesday to accelerate the reblocking of Imizamo Yethu. She said an eviction order would be served on Friday on residents who had moved back to the township.

“The city’s priority is to clear the land‚” said De Lille. “They are in the way of the road that is being built and as a result blocking and slowing down the development. The movement of these residents will enable us to construct and install the bulk services infrastructure.”

De Lille said she would meet community leaders on Monday. “We reaffirm that any decision will be discussed with the community by the mayor’s office and we will continue to work according to this collaborative spirit‚” she said.