The battle for Lelievlei is far from over
The future of 81 residents in Lelievlei, including 18 children, is hanging in the balance as infighting continues between Thaba Chweu Municipality, a new committee that was formed and the former management of this safe haven.
LYDENBURG – The future of 81 residents in Lelievlei, including 18 children, is hanging in the balance as infighting continues between Thaba Chweu Municipality, a new committee that was formed and the former management of this safe haven.
The camp is in such disarray that its founder, Dr Elaine van Staden and one of the former managers, Ms Tienie Nel, told the newspaper they had completely distanced themselves from the new committee’s actions.
Thaba Chweu Muncipality (TCM) has not renewed the lease contract for the municipal land since 2013, despite the fact that Van Staden paid rent timeously each month.
She founded the Section 21 company, Africa Lily Projects, after the first closure of Everest Platinum Mine in 2008. She currently resides in Namibia.
Van Staden said that TCM and its new committee seized all the camp’s possessions.
“Nel, together with Peter Williams and his wife Charmain, were in charge of the project, but have been intimidated over the past couple of months.
“I have been paying the haven’s rent for the past two years and five months.
“The money was accepted without any conditions and, according to legislation, that should be regarded as contractual. I did not receive any notice that the land had to be vacated.”
The new committee comprises former dismissed manager, Mr Chris Black,
Mr André Botha, Mr Wickus Pretorius and three municipal officials.
“I would have moved the whole project and the people with the help of the Boeremag. The first step was to ensure the safety of the food and clothes, but TCM laid claim to them and Nel was chased from the camp,” said Van Staden.
Van Staden said that TCM formed its own committee without her knowledge or permission, and laid claim to all Africa Lily Project’s items.
She said that she had not received any notice or entered into any negotiations or arrangements, and that TCM’s legal department should have know better when it came to legal aspects such as these.
“In this regard, Africa Lily Projects, Nel and the former management of the haven are distancing themselves from the new management or any decisions that are being made the latter. We will not be liable for any donations made from July 27, 2016 onwards,” said Van Staden.
Another former manager of the camp,
Mr Frik Rousseau, said that the infighting started in March.
“On the advice of legal counsel, I decline to comment on the matter. I am aware of civil cases that have been opened. We, as the old management, feel ashamed that we could not settle our differences. The residents of Lelievlei have suffered a lot because of our infighting. In bad and even during worse times, the show must go on. My friends and I supported the new management at first because I have many friends at Lelievlei,” said Rousseau.
Mr Gerrie Broodryk (66), a resident of Lelievlei, died of a heart attack in his Wendy house on Wednesday night.
Thaba Chweu Municipality (TCM) responded to the queries regarding the seizure of Lelievlei.
TCM said that a meeting had been held on July 16 between the legal division of the municipality and an Africa Lelievlei Projects concerned group at the municipal offices, where a number of issues were raised.
These entailed drugs and alcohol abuse, registration of the residents, handing out of food parcels from local donors, safety and security issues and the challenge of payments by individuals, including pensioners on- site. The question arose as to what the money was used for.
“It was established that the land belongs to council, and that Dr Elaine van Staden had entered into a lease agreement with council to utilise the land to cater for vulnerable families and individuals.
The lease has since expired and the matter must now be tabled before council.”
TCM said the legal division of the municipality recommended the following in the interim: That all proposals be submitted to council for scrutiny; that the issue of the current lease be tabled to council; that progress be maintained on-site until council pronounces itself on the matter at hand; that the code of conduct be fundamentally addressed to avoiding a negative outcome; and that a committee be formed that is composed of current management in question and the concerned group to be part of the established committee, for purposes of assisting the municipality in carrying out its obligation towards the community at large.
“The objective of the municipality is to promote a conducive living environment in conjunction with human settlements, taking into account the housing framework.
The department of corporate services will discuss this before the matter goes to council in order to come up with a report which will give guidelines on the lease agreement. It is suffice to say the lease has not been terminated and has also not been renewed formally by the lessee.”
