Members of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and South African Concerned Housing Association (SACHO) took to the streets to voice their grievances.
The group started their march from Lynnville on Thursday, August 14 and they marched to the city to hand over a memorandum. Executive mayor, Cllr Salome Sithole, and city administrator, Mr Theo van Vuuren, received copies of the memorandum.
The group said they were marching against the forceful and illegal removal of people of eMalahleni from their bond houses, RDP houses and vacant stands by the municipality, among others.
They claimed that the people have their title deeds, the new occupants of the houses do not have any documents that prove that they are the legitimate owners of the houses.
They alleged that the municipality is conniving with the conveyance, the courts and the police to forcefully take the houses from the rightful owners.
“EFF and SACHO, by delivering this memorandum of grievances to Emalahleni Local Municipality mayor and the administrator of the municipality, want to amicably resolve the complaints of the people of eMalahleni in due course. This memorandum is an extensive consultation with the residents of eMalahleni municipality from the township, informal settlements and the mining residents around the area. After we have realised that nothing will be done to root out corruption, nepotism, favouritism, lack of basic services, such as housing, water, proper roads and sanitation, joblessness and the continuous forceful removal of residents from theirs legitimate houses by municipal officials conniving with law enforcement agencies, conveyances and magistrate courts, we came to a conclusion that enough is enough, we need to take serious action and deliver to ourselves a dignified life,” said a spokesperson for the group.
The marchers’ demands included:
*That the municipality speedily facilitate and coordinate the reinstatement of all people who were forcefully and unlawfully removed from their houses within 30 days.
*That the municipality investigate, bring to book and dismiss all corrupt officials involved in the barbaric act of removing people from their rightful places or houses;
*That the conveyance appointed by the municipality be brought to book for illegally keeping the title deeds of the home owners without their permission, and for illegally obtaining the document of the home owners;
*That the police who connived with the municipality to forcefully and illegally remove people from their houses be charged and be dismissed with immediate affect;
*That the magistrate who is alleged to be conniving with the officials and issued a warrant of arrest for an old and disabled person (Mr Noah Themba), refused him bail and kept him in custody for 14 days be investigated charged and be dismissed;
*That the mayor together with the department of COGTA lodges a full investigation about all who were involved in this matter and report back in writing to SACHO and EFF within 30 days;
*We demand that the municipality fix the potholes and build proper roads in eMalahleni and the surrounding township within three months from today;
*The municipality formalises the area of Old Coronation and Klarinet and put services, basic infrastructure and make provision of RDP houses to the needy as soon as possible that is, within the 2014/15 budget;
*That the municipality make timorous provision of clean water and healthy water in our communities within three months;
*That the municipality provide land for housing development and integrated human settlements for all people living in informal settlements around eMalahleni.
The group also demanded job creation and youth development among others.
“EFF has since tabled the matter in the legislature and the MEC for COGTA has committed to attend to the matter as she is still new and was not aware. However the HOD Mr Sarel Mtsweni has indicated that he is aware about the matter and it has since been brought to the attention of the department before and they are still working on it,” added a statement from EFF.
