Chamdor protesters angry over ‘broken promises’
Without proper answers, the residents will continue to resist and possibly even resort to violence to get a fair deal.
The DA argues that the protesters who caused mayhem in Chamdor a few weeks ago, were not angry for no reason.
Tudor Shaft informal settlement has been the scene of chaos after residents protested for days on end, barricading Tudor Road and causing traffic delays in the Chamdor area. One man also lost his life at the scene of the protest.
Alan Fuchs, the Democratic Alliance Gauteng Constituency Head in Mogale City, argues that Mogale City’s Mayor, Koketso Calvin Seerane, has once again left residents of Soul City (also known as Tudor Shaft) informal settlement “stranded without hope of ever being relocated to an area with decent housing and opportunities”.
In 2013 Seerane said that residents in the informal settlement would be moved by the local government elections in 2016, however Fuchs says that on a recent visit to the area, Seerane had changed his tune, indicating only a small handful of residents would be relocated.
The municipality has issued a statement in which it says that the new housing units will be built by March this year.
“In an attempt to salvage the situation, promises of large sums of money to relocate the residents were made – much to the annoyance of the community who chased the Mayor away with rocks,” Fuchs added.
Soul City residents, according to Fuchs, believe Seerane needs to explain the following:
• On the basis of a scientific study that has been conducted, the residents wish to know which areas are still habitable for people as the area has been polluted with radioactivity from mining activity;
• Why the whole community cannot be moved to a single site;
• What will happen to those members of the community who do not qualify for government housing;
• Residents have roots in the area – some of them have jobs and their children attend local schools, they wish to know whether such opportunities will exist in the areas to which the council plans to move them.
“Without proper answers, the residents will continue to resist and possibly even resort to violence to get a fair deal. The ANC needs to be honest and transparent with the people of Soul City and make good on their broken promises,” he concluded.
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