Thirteen years ago, the City of Cape Town paid expensive private consultants to produce a “Masi Development Framework” outlining the best way forward for the township that was established in 1996 by then president Mandela for 8 000 people. This plan has never been released to the public.
For 13 years, the community leaders have been patiently and even impatiently asking to see it and to have discussions. Now, 40 000 people are living there, and sections have become hopelessly unsuitable for human habitation.
In the “wetlands”, 70 families share one toilet and one tap. Fires have repeatedly claimed lives and caused homelessness. After one such disaster, R30 million was spent, but when it comes to providing new infrastructure, the purse strings of the City have been pulled tight.
True, they have set aside R13m for a new fire station, but it will be on land that could far rather have been used for desperately needed housing. To the slightly cynical, it seems as though the city has resigned itself to the fact that Masiphumelele will remain overcrowded, and fires will be a part of their future.
Instead, there is a much brighter alternative future. Masi could become a respectable suburb with its own subcouncil, and a tourist attraction, which would increase the value of the surrounding properties as well. If it remains neglected and so overpopulated, the future looks grim.
There are many examples of promises to Masi leaders not kept, and of the dismissive attitude towards the people. One example is that there was often no water over the weekends for sections of Masi during recent months.
The City said that was because the pressure was low – as though that was a sufficient answer to the problem. People wanted to know why pressure was not rather reduced to wealthy households that were using far more than their fair share of the water. But the crux of the matter is the issue of Erf 5131. SANParks sold this 5.3ha property to CCT for the purpose of erecting housing for Masi.
In spite of the fact that the situation in Masi was a human emergency by anyone’s standards, nothing happened. In dealing with Masi, City officials decided that certain leaders were easier to work with than others, and proceeded to communicate with their favourites, thus sowing confusion and dissension.
It looked as if a new chapter was opening when Xanthea Limberg, the new Mayco member for human resources, attended a meeting in Masi on February 27 this year. The meeting never took place, however, because the community asked that Councillor Felicity Purchase leave the hall, as they had heard too many false promises from her already.
Afterwards, the City complained that the community had not come to listen, but had demands to make. That is very telling – so the City delegation did not come to listen, but only to dictate? However, on March 13, a meeting did take place, and Councillor Limberg gave two promising undertakings: first, the Environmental Impact Assessment would be fast-tracked and would be done in six months instead of the projected three (more!) years, and secondly, that a “matrix” development plan would be revealed.
Since then, leaders have been waiting and asking in vain for the promised feedback. From the City side, there was nothing but the old silence. Then, on Monday, April 17, eight police cars and a Casspir arrived while people were at work, and smashed shacks, including the furniture inside them.
This is not new, but as insult added to injury after they had been promised some hope, it was a deeply malicious act. People returned from work to devastation and despair. According to Dumsani Nhlapo, a community leader, the officials told him there was “a broken relationship between Masiphumelele leaders and City of Cape Town”.
Can they possibly think that inhumane treatment like this violent demolition of shacks – without notice – is a viable way to go? However difficult communication may be at times, we dare not abandon it, for our humanity’s sake.
They have been waiting for 13 years, not for a bicycle lane or speed humps, but for basic decent living conditions, which would cost less than the disaster management to provide. Mr Nhlapo spoke for many when he asked the police to go to townships that have problems with gangs and drugs.
The police are slow enough to come when they are called on by the people of Masi for help. Masi was given a mobile police unit, which has provided inconsistent help, but the City is spending R100m on refurbishing Muizenberg police station, which has a smaller population.
The days when we could treat townships so differently from other suburbs should surely have long passed. In 2014, Masi produced plans of their own, which also disappeared in the City offices as they were passed from one to the other.
The neighbours of Masi are not blind to these injustices. A petition was started by Lizzy Allen on the Noordhoek Facebook page to express dismay at the neglect, but she and the petition were removed after it had started collecting many signatures. Censorship will solve no problems.
After 13 years, desperation is at bursting point. The residents are starting to occupy Erf 5131, and who can blame them? The rain will hopefully be coming soon, but it will cause more misery in the wetlands, since no steps have been taken to relocate people and upgrade their housing.
Many ideas have been suggested, but nothing gets off the ground. The township is now a keg of resentment, and the City needs to change its tactics, or 13 will become a tragically unlucky number.