Mfuleni shack dwellers protest outside Premier’s office

Shack dwellers from Mfuleni marched to the Western Cape Premier’s office in Cape Town on Friday to demand water and electricity. Photo: Vincent Lali

Over 100 shack dwellers from Mfuleni marched to the Western Cape Premier’s office and the Civic Centre in Cape Town on Friday to demand water and electricity.

This follows a shack fire in November last year in which Noyiba Thini and her son were burnt. Thini died from her injuries at Khayelitsha Day Hospital.

“We have no water. We can’t even douse a burning shack,” said protest organiser Bathandwa Gali.

He said protests would escalate if their demands were ignored. “If we don’t get what we want, we won’t return here, we will shut down the N2,” he said.

Gali said they also wanted government to build roads in informal settlements to give emergency services and police access.

“The crime rate is high in our areas because the police can’t patrol. Once we get roads, the police will patrol and the crime rate will decrease,” Gali said.

Siphumelelisa Gogotya, who lives with her two grandchildren, said they read by candlelight in Ndofaya informal settlement because there is no electricficationi.

“I make them stop reading when I feel sleepy. I fear they may forget to put out the candle while I’m asleep, and burn our shack,” she said.

She borrows money from neighbours to buy candles and uses credit to buy firewood to cook. “I spend about R200 a month on firewood. If I had electricity, I would spend my grandchildren’s grants on food instead.”

To get water, she wakes up at 3am to avoid long queues at a communal tap in the nearby LA informal settlement, she said.

Community leader Phumeza Maxakatho said shack dwellers also get water from formal houses in extension 6 and use their outside toilets.

“They lock their toilets sometimes. We now want our own toilets and water taps, so we don’t inconvenience them,” she said.

Albert Dlwengu, director for policy and strategy at the Western Cape Department of Local Government, promised to give the memorandum to the Premier.

Andre Louw of the City’s public participation department said he would hand the memo to relevant departments, compile their responses, and report back to the protesters.

Support independent journalism
Donate using Payfast