Michael Nkalane
DESPITE an interdict granted by the Western Cape High Court, the Sivukile Sonele group has vowed to continue protesting against the City’s allocation of N2 Gateway houses.
Yesterday morning, the members protested along the N2 and threatened construction workers.
Sivukile Sonele, which means “we have woken up and taken a stand” in isiXhosa, prevented a group of beneficiaries from moving into 463 houses in Langa in August.
The group accused the City of not following the correct criteria and procedures when deciding who would get houses.
On September 4, the City went to the high court to apply for the interdict against the group. On Tuesday, the court upheld the order against Sivukile Sonele, and 15 other respondents “disrupting or otherwise interfering in any way” with City’s Langa project handover of the housing units.
On Tuesday, the City handed over keys to the first beneficiaries of the Langa Hostels Transformation Project.
The court also ruled that members of the group may not enter or be on the site of the Langa project; they may not commit arson upon, vandalise, damage or occupy any structure, fixtures, fittings or furniture on the Langa property.
A cleaner at a construction site, Communal Rental Unit, who did not want to be named, fearing for her life, told the Cape Times she was threatened verbally and sent an SMS by Sivukile Sonele yesterday. “They told (me) I am not going to sleep. They then sent me an SMS with the same threat.”
“I am also a backyarder. I need a house. I am not involved in housing allocation, otherwise I would have been living in my house by now.”
Sivukile Sonele spokesperson Vusi Mandindi vowed members would keep on protesting until the City “comes down and listens” to them. He said they are planning a march to Parliament.
During the handover, Mayco member for Human Settlements Benedicta van Minnen said: “We will not be bullied by those driving their own narrow interests at the expense of the legitimate beneficiaries of this project”.
“The City’s law enforcement agencies and the SAPS are monitoring the situation.”
@siyaks