Communities protest hopefully not in vain

By Mikhaila Crowie
24 July 2008

All three communities affected by the N2 Gateway housing project, marched to the Provincial Department of Local Government and Housing this morning.

The communities-Joe Slovo Phase 1 flats, the Joe Slovo informal settlement and Symphony Way informal settlement- said they were tired of government’s authoritarian way of governing the country.

They claimed it was not a protest about the lack of service delivery but the undemocratic structure of government. The protesters called on government to end privatisation of services to private companies like Thubelisha Homes and Trafalgar Properties.

Memoranda were handed over to MEC for Local Government and Housing Richard Dyantyi and Thubelisha Homes. A representative for Trafalgar Properties was not present and after much debate, a superintendent of SAPS accepted it on their behalf.

Coffins were carried through the protesting crowd with Richard Dyantyi’s name on the side. On a slip of paper that was put in a box, it read: “Through unfair distribution of housing, the people in need of houses caused the death of Thubelisha (Homes). Rest in shame, not in peace. We need houses, not tin shacks.”