Africa-Press – South-Africa. The City of Cape Town says it has opened a criminal case against people who have been living in the Chris Hani Community Hall in Mfuleni since 14 June, GroundUp reports.
About 60 families, mostly women and children, moved to the hall without permission after their shacks in the Burundi informal settlement were flooded in June.
The mayoral committee member for community services and health, Patricia van der Ross, said the community hall was the responsibility of the Department of Social Development.
Van der Ross added attempts to negotiate with the residents have been unsuccessful.
Resident Rang Leki told GroundUp when their requests for assistance during the floods fell on deaf ears, they decided to occupy the hall.
Leki said most of their shacks and belongings were destroyed in the floods.
People occupying the hall told GroundUp they wanted the City to give them serviced land where they could rebuild their shacks or to move them to safer alternative accommodation.
Siphokazi Mbi, who lives in the hall with her four-month-old baby, said it seemed the City and ward councillor were not taking their situation seriously, adding life in the hall was tough.
“It’s very cold and there’s no privacy here. If this wasn’t our only option, we would go back to our shacks.”
She added they would not leave the hall until the City “gives us a better place to live”.
Ward 114 councillor Ernest Madikane of the ANC told GroundUp the City had not discussed opening a case with him.
“As a ward councilor, I do not have a mandate to tell the people to vacate the hall,” he added.
Community leader Ayanda Mteto said most of the families had been in Burundi since 2018, adding they were still trying to reason with the City to help the residents.
“We suggested the City at least level the ground so the river water won’t flood the shacks again. There is no vacant land in Mfuleni at the moment. We are hoping that, at some point, we will reach an agreement,” he added.
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