The alleged withdrawal of millions alleged to have been previously allocated for housing in Rabie Ridge continues to cause unrest in the community after the South African Communist Party (SACP) marched to Region A offices, weeks after hundreds of people marched to the offices.
The SACP JB Marks branch in Ward 80 is led by Phomolo Lekau, the branch secretary and Joseph Malope, the chairperson.
The memorandum of the SACP read as follows:
- We demand the return of the R15 million which was withdrawn from Erf 1075 and 1345 land
- Upgrading of all gravel roads
- Construction of a bridge between Sophia and Phomolong
- Electrification of informal settlements to prevent illegal connections
- Formalising of informal settlements in Ward 80
- Fast-tracking of the 1996 housing list backlog.
Abigail Ndlovu the director for Region A accepted the memorandum and said the office of the mayor will first read through the memorandum before responding to it. “The office of the mayor has been given 14 days to respond to the memorandum, therefore we will not be saying much on the matter at the moment,” said Ndlovu.
Lekau said they are seeking a bridge because when it is raining, children cannot cross over, “We are not looking for a fancy large bridge, we are simply looking for a solution to guarantee the safety of our children, especially when it’s raining.
“The communist party are the vanguards of the poor and the workers and our interests are based mostly on poor people, therefore, we will continue to fight for the disadvantaged,” said Lekau.
“We need adequate housing because every winter people are engulfed by flames due to shack fires.”
One of the marchers, Madimetja Lehutjo has reiterated the words of Lekau and furthermore said the illegal connections are putting the children of the community at risk.
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