Land invaders are defiantly occupying vacant plots in Woodlands after the City of Cape Town’s anti-land invasion unit removed them several times.
This after six shops were looted on Monday May 28 and a meeting with Mitchell’s Plain councillors, Lentegeur community police forum (CPF), ratepayers’ associations and concerned residents was held on Tuesday May 29.
A squatter who refused to be named said they had been burning tyres almost every night to ensure government paid attention to them.
“We haven’t made our voices heard, we haven’t spoke loud enough and it was long enough that coloured people’s voices have been made quiet,” he said.
He said they would not stop protesting and that squatters needed to keep building and owning their property.
Eddie Andrews, mayoral committee member for area south, said the meeting resolved that a MyEstate mobile housing office would be deployed to Woodlands to help residents register or update their details on the City’s housing database, and that the feasibility of public lighting and traffic calming for Eros Way park would be investigated.
He said the City was committed to service delivery and engaging with communities to address legitimate service delivery concerns, “However, we cannot tolerate the violence and destruction that has become almost par for the course during protest action in recent months. Apart from the far-reaching impact on the lives of other residents, it draws attention away from any legitimate issues that need to be addressed,” he said.