Cape Town - Frustrated Kraaifontein informal settlement residents accompanied a procession of EFF members who staged a protest march in Kraaifontein on Friday in an effort to air their grievances and demand better living conditions from several government bodies.
Thousands of EFF protesters marched through the streets of Kraaifontein on Friday morning in protest against the alleged ill-treatment of black and coloured people living in disadvantaged areas in Kraaifontein.
The protest was attended by both regional and provincial EFF leaders who led the mass gathering marshalled by the Bloewata Taxi Association to three government institutions to hand out detailed separate memorandums which they demanded be immediately attended to.
The group, escorted by a convoy of heavy police and law enforcement officers. peacefully marched to the local police station, the day hospital as well as the Kraaifontein local municipal offices.
At the police station the group was met by the on-duty station commander. Among the residents’ demands was that there be a mobile police station that would attend to residents more quickly in times of emergencies. The group also demanded that the alleged victimisation and insensitive treatment of gender-based-violence victims at the precinct be addressed immediately.
Addressing the crowd as well as the police, EFF regional chairperson Unathi Ntema said crime in the area was at an all-time high and police had failed dismally to act and protect innocent residents.
Ntema said the informal settlements without electricity were targets of criminals and extortionists who were holding residents hostage.
“We are not second-rate citizens. Our people are constantly mistreated by the police force and not catered for when it comes to crime prevention initiatives. We are demanding that that ends today. We want an end to the insensitive treatment of our mothers and sisters who come to report cases here. This policing precinct services black and coloured people. Why are our residents not allowed to speak in their own languages?”
From the police station the group marched to the local day hospital where they were met by a member from the management team. Some of the points the group wanted to highlight was the HIV and Aids medicine collection system, which they said singled out patients and exposed them without concern, as well as the poor health care system.
Ntema read out the memorandum, calling for the health department to address and resolve the list of issues immediately.
He said: “What the health department is doing is wrong and causing a lot of unnecessary anxiety for residents living with HIV and Aids. Why should they be singled out in such a manner when there is still a lot of stigma around HIV in local communities. It’s discriminatory and should be stopped immediately.”
“We are also calling on (Health MEC Nomafrench) Mbombo to make sure that the hospital has enough staff and midwives. The situation here is pathetic and sad. People are dying here and it’s mostly black people. Mbombo and her department needs to also look at the community demographics and employ management accordingly.
“Why do we see a lot of white faces in a black community. Should our demands not be met within five days, we will come and take over this hospital.”
From the day hospital the group headed for the local municipal offices over the N1, where they were met with a tense atmosphere and groups of armed private security forces, who stood on the sidelines and watched the procession.
Local businesses were notably closed for business and car dealerships vacant with owners and managers standing inside locked gates.
On arrival at the council offices the group was met by Grant Twigg, the City’s Mayco Member for Urban Management, and Brenda Hansen Kraaifontein, Sub-council chairperson, who later signed and accepted receipt of the EFF’s memorandum.
The memorandum, which was again read by Ntema, demanded that the City allow residents living in the Covid-19 informal settlement as well as all other newly formed settlements to be attended to immdiately and receive essential service delivery regarding electricity, water and hygienic sanitation services.
Ntema said: “Our people need toilets, water and electricity. That is not too much to ask. We don’t want to hear that there are no funds, because the City can and should divert funds from rich areas across the Cape to tend to the needs of the poor. Again we are giving the City five days to respond to our demands. Failure to do so (and) we will take care of business on our own. We will come and toilet here and in Durbanville.”
“The City should also stop fining and extorting money from our taxi drivers and owners. They should be given permits to work freely in our community. All the problems our people are facing stem from the City’s racism against black and coloured people. This is our land and we will not continue speaking nicely if our demands are not met.”
EFF regional secretary Banzi Dambuza said that residents were tired of being mistreated by the City and wanted services to all newly formed settlements immediately.
EFF provincial chairperson Melikhaya Xego said that the organisation was set on staging peaceful protests and would continue to advocate for better lives for South Africans of colour.
Cape Argus