Disgruntled Freedom Park residents embarked on a peaceful protest last week over the housing crisis in the area.
Residents gathered at the housing offices in Eldorado Park Ext 6 and said that the reason for protesting was because their need for housing is being ignored by the government.
Community leader Thami Njothi confirmed that the community of Freedom Park, which is referred to as Abahlali base Freedom Park, compiled a list of seven demands for Gauteng MEC of Human Settlements, Uhuru Moiloa.
“The first demand is that honourable Uhuru Moiloa immediately engage with our community on rapidly releasing all the land in the southern farms. The land needs to be released to the landless people from Freedom Park and its surrounding areas,” said Njothi.
“We have been fighting for land for more than 23 years now and if the MEC fails to engage with our leadership, we will directly occupy the land in the southern farms,” he added.
The second demand is that the MEC of Human Settlements should constructively engage with the leadership of Abahlali base Freedom Park on the proposal submitted to the Gauteng Human Settlement for the release and development of the southern farms.
The third demand is transparency about the plans and budget for the release and development on the Southern farms.
“Our fourth demand is that our community should be actively involved on the selection and nomination of all the development companies to be hired for the development of these farms,” said Queenith Themba, who was among the protesters.
She added that the fifth demand was that community members should remain the economic beneficiaries in the entire development process. The last demands were for proper plans for skills development and corporate social investment in the community.
“No private companies will be hired to work on the farms without the communities’ consent,” said Themba.
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