EFF took to the streets
Members of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the South African Concerned Housing Organisation (SACHO) recently took to the streets, marching to present a memorandum to the municipality.
They said they also handed over the memorandum of their grievances to magistrate court and Vosman Police Station. The march was held on Thursday, February 26.
“This memorandum is the product of eMalahleni residents from the townships, informal settlements, suburbs and the mining areas around eMalahleni. It is therefore against this background that the EFF, as the protest movement and the only hope of the poor masses, submits this memorandum of demands to be addressed within seven working days as from today.
Failure, which we will leave no stone, unturned until all our grievances are fully and properly addressed by the municipality, court, Vosman Police Station and all the stakeholders involved. This is the last time we hand over such a memorandum because we were here last year and this will be the fourth time we are submitting our grievances to you. We had concluded that enough is enough; we need to take serous actions to deliver to ourselves a dignified life.
It is a good story to tell when a blind man who has title deed to his house, has to be forcefully evicted from his property by the municipality, the court and the police? Is it a good story to tell when this blind man has no shelter for his family? Is it a good story when this blind man is sent from pillar to post by government departments, including the office of the president, when he seeks help and intervention in his case and others? Where must he and other affected people register their plight of assistance? Is this truly happening in this 21 years of democratic South Africa?”
EFF promised that they would render the municipality ungovernable for the next 14 months until all the corrupt politicians and officials are removed from the office. They also promised that they would take over Emalahleni municipality and demonstrate what good governance is and that people are supreme and must be respected at all times.
EFF and SACHO demanded:
*That the municipality and Vosman Police Station speedily facilitate and coordinate the reinstatement of all the people who were forcefully and unlawfully evicted from their houses and sites within 21 days;
*That the municipality, court and Vosman Station investigate and bring to book all the corrupt officials involved in this barbaric act of robbing the poor of their rightful properties;
*That the conveyance as appointed by the municipality be brought to book for illegally keeping and transferring the title deeds of the owners’ properties without their permission and for illegally obtaining the property owners’ documents for eviction and selling purposes;
*That the magistrate together with the senior prosecutor and the police who collaborate with municipal officials and issue illegal warrant of arrest for all SACHO members and affected people, refusing them bail and keeping them in a police custody for up 30 days be investigated, charged and be dismissed;
*That all people from Rietsprut, Kriel and other mining areas be given their houses back after they were unlawfully evicted. Stop evicting people from their houses, stand and stop backroom demolishing;
*The organisations demand housing development and human settlement for Vosman, Coronation, Empumelelweni and all the informal settlements around eMalahleni; and
*That land be made available for all backroom dwellers.
Executive mayor of Emalahleni, Cllr Salome Sithole, accepted the memorandum and promised to respond accordingly. City administrator Mr Theo van Vuuren and other officials accompanied her.
