More than 70 homeless people, allegedly spurred on by the ANC, invaded the Windsor East Recreation Centre over the weekend, in a desperate attempt to find a place to sleep, according to Ward 98 councillor Laurette van Zijl.
In a statement issued by Van Zijl, homeless people started invading the centre on the corner of George Street and Viscount Avenue in Windsor East on the evenings of 11, 12 and 13 September.
“Last night [15 September] I was physically assaulted by the chairperson of the local ANC branch. This was done at a meeting which was arranged by the City officials to discuss and resolve the ‘community’s issues’ and involvement with the homeless.The ANC hijacked the meeting and declared it a closed one, which only their members could attend as (they did not admit) their members form the relevant ‘community’ of occupiers. I was thus barred from attending the meeting.”
The statement further added, “In the altercations between myself and the individual ANC members outside the meeting, it became
obvious that while the leaders of the relevant ANC structures claim total innocence, they allow and encourage certain radical elements to behave in a criminal, thuggish way.
“One of the ANC members who was there on 15 September, Thabang, responded to the allegations and said, ‘The councillor was not physically harmed. It is an unnecessary lie. City of Joburg officials were there to handle the situation, and we all agreed that they must find a better solution for the homeless people’.”
According to the councillors’ statement, “City officials informed me later that in spite of them stating in no uncertain terms that they are breaking the law by bringing the people to the centre and in spite of promises that they, the officials, would do to get the affected homeless in shelters as soon as possible, the meeting decided in a very radical way that they would continue to occupy the recreation centre.”
One of the eyewitnesses who saw the homeless people on 12 September stated, “The security tried to prevent them from entering but they threatened to burn the centre down if they were not allowed in.”
Van Zijl said various ANC structures are allegedly challenging Johannesburg City policies, try settle homeless people in this centre on a permanent basis.
The councillor further added that staff in charge of the Recreational Centre in Region B and the City of Joburg Metropolian Police Department (JMPD) task team met on 14 September and appointed eight members of the JMPD to protect the centre.
Van Zijl said a meeting was held on 14 September, and JMPD was present.
“On Monday evening [14 September], homeless people and political instigators arrived in bakkies carrying kerosene and other flammables. They went as far as trying to implicate the Mayor and the MMC of Community Development. They dared the JMPD to phone these leaders and talk to them on speakerphone.”
Van Zijl further alleged that homeless people and ANC leaders toyi-toyi in front of the centre and sang revolutionary songs up until midnight.
She said the attempted occupation by ANC structures was proof of the ANC government’s failure to provide sufficient housing.
“It is a cheap political stunt and a poor attempt to hide the ANC’s inability to deal with the ever-growing vagrancy problem in the City,” argued Van Zijl.
She had tried to contact both the Mayor and MMC Vondo to discuss their names being used in the matter, however, neither had returned her calls by the time of releasing the statement.
Van Zijl said the City of Joburg has offered shelter to these homeless people in Hillbrow numerous times but they refuse to relocate.
(JMPD) spokesperson Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar said the JMPD was at the meeting, but when it comes to homeless people, “that is a matter of social services.”
Supt Minnaar said he has no knowledge of ANC members threatening the councillor and would not comment on it.
Details: Ward 98 councillor Laurette van Zijl 082 3300 593.
Related Articles:
