Cape Town - For the second time in less than a week informal settlement leaders have called off a major march to the centre of Cape Town.
On Sunday, Sesikhona Peoples’ Rights cancelled Monday’s march after interfaith leaders intervened and pledged to help mediate discussions between the group and the city.
An illegal march planned for Friday was called off last week, and also banned in terms of a Western Cape High Court interdict won by the city.
Former ANC councillor Andile Lili said: “Monday’s march has been cancelled; we have agreed with interfaith leaders to engage in talks with the city and the premier.”
Lili, who said he was the chairman of the organisation with Loyiso Nkohla as secretary, said they had planned not only to hand a memorandum to the provincial legislature but also to “target” banks.
“Sesikhona is a community-based organisation that does not only look at the government. Banks are also not assisting us, they are just benefiting with all their bond loans.
“We call upon poor people to close their accounts in other banks and use only Capitec and African Bank.”
On Friday, Lili and Nkohla met Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and Western Cape Religious Forum leaders to discuss their relationship with the city. The meeting came in the wake of the cancellation of what had been expected to be a disruptive march of thousands of people through the city centre in support of demands for housing and services.
One of the religious leaders was the Reverend Rommel Roberts, who said:
“This is a twofold case - first, it’s the consultative process where we are going to meet the provincial government independently and hear their side of the story. The second part will be getting both the informal settlement leaders and provincial government to discuss a solution.”
Roberts said the matter of access to land was a problem for both the provincial and national government.
Mayor Patricia de Lille said Human Settlements MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela had already met the informal settlements leaders. She welcomed, in principle, the opportunity to engage with the religious leaders.
Meanwhile, Braam Hanekom of People Against Suppression Suffering Oppression and Poverty (Passop) has offered to help organise another protest, should informal settlement leaders decide to hold one.
“Passop is offering to assist in marshalling, mobilisation and organisation of the protest,” he said. Referring to a march at the end of October, when a group of protesters ran amok and looted shops and stalls, he added: “Informal settlement leaders should not be denied their right to protest because of one incident. It’s their constitutional and democratic right. Sanitation and housing is a cause.”
Lili said the march would be on hold until the end of January, pending the outcome of the talks with the city.
Cape Argus