Local government meets to discuss relief for evictees

By Anele Siwa
22 February 2008

Premier of the Western Cape Ebrahim Rasool held a media briefing on Friday morning with MEC of housing and local government Richard Dyantyi and MEC for Social Development and Poverty Kholeka Mqulwana, to discuss the package of relief measures.

“We are of the view that there’s been deliberate misleading of very vulnerable people who desperately and justifiable want houses and who have been misled into doing illegal action by occupying houses which were not meant for them," says Rasool.

According to Rasool there are plans in place for Delft-Symphony residents those plans include accommodation and relief measures.

“This is not about being Coloured or African as many claim. Fairness and transparent are the only weapons we are going to use in dealing with any situation,” he explains.

Rasool further elaborates that the method that has been applied in Delft-Symphony residents is the same they will apply next week when evicting Joe Slovo residents to further develop the area.

“The city has got to provide trucks to be able to take back people to where they were before they illegally occupied the houses,” says Dyantyi.

According to Dyantyi six halls are going to be used as alternative accommodation by residents.

‘We have feed five thousand people 250 were children, two babies were born. We know that general the nation is dealing with HIV/Aids and among those we might find that we do have women who are not breast feeding and, we are looking into those babies,” says Mqulwana.

“All that we need from provincial government is houses, if they can not do that they should not come and disrupt other relief organizations which are helping us about food, water and clothing.

They even asked traffic officers not to allow other relief organizations in the area," says Delft-Smphony residents’ legal coordinator Ashraf Cassiem.