Cape Town - A court interdict has been issued restraining Proudly Manenberg from “threatening, harassing and assaulting city officials and employees of contractors” who are providing services on behalf of the city.
The City of Cape Town obtained the interdict from the Western Cape High Court on Friday, preventing Mario Wanza and Proudly Manenberg from disrupting the upgrade of council rental units in Manenberg, Heideveld, Hanover Park and Ottery.
The city said it applied for the interdict after Proudly Manenberg, led by Wanza and his associates, orchestrated a series of violent, obstructive actions to interfere with the work of contractors appointed by the city to upgrade the units.
Solly Malatsi, the spokesman for mayor Patricia de Lille, said the city was repainting and upgrading the units when the work had to be suspended due to the intimidating actions of Proudly Manenberg.
“They were creating an environment that was preventing officials from working,” Malatsi said.
The city has had several incidents with violence halting the delivery of services over the past few months, including the assault of city officials in Gugulethu and issues servicing other informal settlements.
But Wanza, the leader of Proudly Manenberg, said he planned to continue mobilising the community and denied that any violent action took place, only acknowledging that people had blocked the construction.
“The court action is not going to stop us from addressing the issues of the people of Manenberg,” Wanza said.
Wanza said residents are not content with the extent and delivery of the planned upgrades. A petition was circulated and contained requests and complaints from the community, asking for the removal of asbestos from the roofs, quality window framing, and more input from them on how the houses are constructed, among other concerns.
Wanza said the drive would continue with petitions from residents, public meetings and a planned march for better construction quality.
“The city is trying to deflect attention away from their failures. No one is being threatened or intimidated.”
Community leader Dorothy Swart said the city had asked for input from residents before beginning construction, but then changed the plan once residents were moved into temporary homes.
The city said the alleged destructive actions of Wanza and his associates had left it no choice but to interdict them in the interest of housing delivery in the area, and that problems with construction were because city officials were blocked when trying to finish their work.
“We will not allow anyone to take the law into their hands,” said Malatsi. “We will use every available legal measure to remove any obstacle that stands in the way of the city’s delivery programme.”
Cape Argus