Housing probe sought after protest death

Nqobile Nzuza, who was shot dead during a housing protest in Cato Manor.

Nqobile Nzuza, who was shot dead during a housing protest in Cato Manor.

Published Oct 3, 2013

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Durban - The DA has called for Premier Senzo Mchunu to institute a commission of inquiry into housing delivery matters after a 17-year-old schoolgirl was shot dead at the Cato Crest informal settlement.

Nqobile Nzuza, who her family said was an innocent bystander in a housing protest by shack dwellers, was shot in the back on Monday, allegedly by police after protesters mobbed their van.

Another woman, Buleka Makhwenkwana, was shot in the arm.

DA MPL George Mari said allegations of unlawful evictions, illegal contractors, unfair allocations of houses and other corruption-based activity should be probed by a commission.

He said the situation was beyond the control of the metro police and the municipality, and called on the premier to “intervene if further unrest and death is to be prevented”.

The DA had submitted two notices to the council, calling for a new and transparent housing allocations policy, Mari said.

The Clare Estate Development Forum, representing the formal residences in that suburb, has called for the tactical response unit of the SAPS to take over the policing at the nearby Kennedy Road informal settlement.

Dennis Pillay, chairman of the forum, said vehicles were being stoned by protesters.

He estimated that about 8 000 people lived in the Kennedy Road informal settlement, and said the trouble was being caused by a small group of about 50 protesters from within the settlement.

“It has become a problem; it started out as a service delivery protest for housing,” but now shack dwellers were placing garbage onto the roads and becoming violent, he said.

“They threw a burning tyre into a property with the police watching.”

Pillay said the SAPS public order policing unit was not doing anything to quell the situation, but merely watched developments from their armoured police trucks.

He said one formal resident was attacked while in his car, and he then drove into an object on the road, damaging his vehicle.

When the resident questioned the culprits, he was assaulted and had to run for his life.

The car was later retrieved.

Pillay blamed the police and municipality for not intervening, saying criminal activity was being allowed to take place under their watch.

Daily News

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