Gallery: Aggressive residents want to benefit from Lion Park development
KYA SANDS – The re-demarcation of Ward 96 will not deny residents of Kya Sand and Msawawa informal settlements from benefiting of the Lion Park mega development.
Mayhem erupted at Kya Sand and Msawawa informal settlements on 12 October as residents demanded RDP houses and clarification in the demarcation of Ward 96.
“They are going to move us to another ward and we want to know if we are still the beneficiaries of the Lion Park project,” said community leader Bill Modikwe.
The protestors initially gathered at the soccer field in Msawawa and aggressively protested from the soccer field until they were stopped by Douglasdale Police on their way to Witkoppen Road.
Some protesters from the crowd of as many as 10 000 started throwing stones at the police who then responded by firing rubber bullets and teargas.
“Whether we are going to be the beneficiaries of Lion Park development or if the councillor will avail himself to us and give us a report about all the projects in our ward, we need to know,” said Ephraim Lifua, the secretary of Kya Sand and Msawawa Association.
He further explained that the councillor should disclose the information about the projects and the budget that was allocated to his wards.
“The national government should release funds to improve the lives of the people of informal settlements and not to keep on saying they do not have infrastructure while chickens and cattle are living nicely in Nkandla,” he said.
The Director of service delivery from the Gauteng Department of Human Settlement Vulindlela Mapekula signed the memorandum and promised residents that they will arrange the meeting with them to find a solution.
“We will ask MEC Jacob Mamabolo to write in black and white that the development in Lion Park will benefit greatly the residents of Msawawa and Kya Sand informal settlements,” said Mapekula.
He said on 2 October they met with some of the residents and explained to them that the re-demarcation of Ward 96 had absolutely no effect on them being beneficiaries of the Lion Park development.
“The development was conceptualised in order to accommodate these communities although it is part of the mega projects of the department,” he concluded.
After Mapekula had signed the memorandum the community members dispersed and the strike was over.
Details: Msawawa and Kya Sand Association 072 550 7114; Department of Human Settlement
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