'People are tired of living in shacks’
More than 200 residents from the shanty towns of Khayelitsha’s Ward 94 and surrounds marched to municipal offices in the township last week, calling for basic services and housing.
The angry residents sang and danced in front of the main gate of the Khayelitsha Training Centre, calling for Sub-council 10 manager Mandlenkosi Sitonga to come out and address them, but he was not available to do so.
Instead two of his assistants, Noluthando Fikile and Sinazo Mcetywa, accepted the memorandum on his behalf.
The protesters said their living conditions were intolerable.
A leader of the group, Mbongiseni Ntuli, said: “We are tired of false promises. We were told that within a year we will be in the housing database. We have not seen that happening. Having no water is inhumane and unacceptable. There is an issue of electricity that we do not have. We have been here for years but are still using izinyoka-nyoka (illegal electricity connections). We are willing to work with Eskom, but with the situation that we are in, we are forced to illegally connect electricity.”
The protesters said they had been waiting several years for suitable housing.
“The issue of shelter is a very sensitive issue. We need shelter, and we will not compromise on that one,” said Xolani Thukwayo.
“I cannot count how many years we have been in the shacks. People are tired of living in shacks. The winter is coming so the heavy rains will be upon us. The fires have been destroying people’s lives. The City needs to come forward and be part of us.”
The City said its human settlements directorate was unaware of the protest but added that it had an open-door policy and it urged residents to approach it in good faith about their concerns.
Most of the shack settlements in the ward were new, having been established during the Covid lockdown, the City said.
“Numerous newly established communities are demanding services, but currently the City is unable to cater for these unplanned settlements as existing recognised informal settlements are prioritised on the basis of available resources, which are not limitless. Planned and budgeted projects are prioritised. Assessments of all occupied areas continue to be undertaken across the metro,” said the City.
It added that it offered services where possible to shack settlements on municipal land, but where land was unsuitable for human habitation, services such as underground water, electricity could not be provided.
The City said that where it could it provided water, sanitation, electrical and refuse-collection services.
“Informal settlements on private land or other government land are tricky as the City may not provide services without permission in terms of the law. Often the City will, where feasible, provide services such as water standpipes, and rubbish removal on the peripheries of such land. The local land conditions as well as how densely populated a settlement is, as well as the budget conditions, are key factors.
“Apart from the day-to-day running of budgeted informal settlements, the City also spends grants to upgrade existing settlements where feasible. In recognition that informality is something that will remain with all cities in South Africa, a large focus has been and continues to be the upgrading of informal settlements and mainstreaming basic service provision. In 2024, some R390 million was earmarked for informal settlements upgrading projects.”
The City said its human settlements directorate had spent about 99% of its budget on human settlements.
The City urged residents to register with its housing needs register to be considered for housing opportunities as applicants were chosen based on when they had registered.
