White squatters welcomed: “This is nobody’s land but God’s land”.
The white squatters of Coronation Park say they will be killed and raped, but Munsieville residents welcome them with open arms.
“It’s a South Africa for all and therefore they are more than welcome to live here.”
“It’s not a nice environment to live in and we don’t have anything against them living here. We are all human beings” — Thabo Mathule, Munsieville resident
With these words Lucky Rakuba, 49, answered the news’ question on whether the white squatters from Coronation Park should fear for their lives and rather go and live elsewhere.
“No, they should not feel scared, we are not here to harm them.”
Last month the Coronation Park squatters heard that they will have to leave the park by Reconciliation Day 16 December after the Gauteng High Court ruled that they need to move.
This is to make way for the allegedly already financially crippled Mogale City Local Municipality’s R22 million dream park.
The white squatters of Coronation Park told the news on numerous occasions that residents of Munsieville have threatened that they will be killed and their children raped, but the Munsieville residents say they are more than welcome to live among them.
Thabo Mathule who has seen the park while working for the Community Work Programme (CWP) says the people’s living conditions are not desirable.
“It’s not a nice environment to live in and we don’t have anything against them living here. We are all human beings.”
The news also visited residents at the Mashonguville informal settlement where over 300 people live. They say they all can become a big family.
Like many other residents living here Bube Mvenya, 25, together with his brothers and sisters neither have electricity nor running water despite having been promised a better life.
“We have to fetch water at the other side of the hill,” he explains.
As many other youths in the informal settlement he and his siblings never completed schooling as they had to fend for themselves after both of their parents had died when they were young.
Mvenya and his 17-year-old brother Livhuwani sell handmade goods at R120 along the road to put food on the table.
Mitchell Moagi and his wife Rosy, who have been living in terrible conditions in this informal settlement since 1989 say life is becoming difficult and therefore people need to live together.
“This is nobody’s land but God’s land, and we welcome them to live with us. My wife and I have no problems calling them our neighbours.”
Both are unemployed and need to find ways to provide for themselves. Moagi collects recycling materials, which he sells. His wife gets a disability grant from Sassa.
“People are struggling. Thirteen people are living on this small stand and have to make use of portable toilets.”
He says they are scared to go out at night. There are no lights and that could make them easy targets for criminals.
news journalist Jacobus Myburgh invites the municipal spokesperson to contact him on 011 955 1130 or at jakesm@caxton.co.za to help him understand how they can plan a development of R22 million yet the people of Mogale City are living in poverty and dire conditions.
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