South Hills frustration boils over
“People from all over are benefiting from the community project.”
WARD 57 residents in the South of Johannesburg pulled no punches when they blocked entry to the South Hills housing project on the morning of February 12.
The spirited and angry protesters rallied from as early as 6am to show their dissatisfaction over locals not being prioritised for sectioned accommodation on the development.
Talk of a list drafted with the names of people who were supposed to be prioritised in the allocation of housing was on every protestor’s lips.
Locals demand to be part of the change in the south hills ward. Police on high alert. @courier_south @ALBRecord pic.twitter.com/1CLTzPx3Gq
— TheBoardmember (@TheBoardmember) February 13, 2018
ANC ward councillor Mongameli Mnyameni said it was important for locals to reap the benefits of this development first, as they were the ones who supported it from the start.
He said the people want to verify this list before any allocation of houses takes place.
“People from all over are benefiting from the community project,” Mnyameni said.
A meeting was due to be held on February 14, and one of the issues on the agenda was the allocation of houses to community members in a fair way.
“The people want everything to be done fairly,” Mnyameni said, adding that he hoped for a positive outcome. “Whatever wrong they are doing can be corrected.”
SA National Civic Organisation (Sanco) chairperson Godfrey Mrobongwana said community members have tried their best to ensure things go well in the development of the housing project.
South hills lifestyle estate riddled with protesters . @courier_south @ALBRecord pic.twitter.com/Wg6x9FvCAR
— TheBoardmember (@TheBoardmember) February 13, 2018
Mrobongwana said the City of Johannesburg has decided there will not be a steering committee, despite the need for regulation, and the community is now demanding that the allocation of housing be monitored by the provincial housing authorities.
“There remains no steering committee. That’s why things are happening haphazardly. We want our people to appear on that list. They must be there. Our people are not going to benefit from this development, and that is the problem,” Mrobongwana said.
“If Gauteng province takes over, they will have the original list of all the people who have applied for housing.
“City of Johannesburg are the ones that have ensured the list is altered, and we cannot work with that.
“People from outside the ward will benefit,” Mrobongwana said. “Zone 11 must benefit. Ward 57, yes, will be the majority, but the zone must benefit.”
Mrobongwana and Mnyameni agreed that a neutral body is what is needed. Mnyameni said it will be impossible for changes to be implemented if there is no steering committee.
“We want the province to be in charge,” Mnyameni said. “They will establish the steering committee.”
The protestors blocked the entrance to the development, preventing both contractors and residents from entering or exiting.
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