Gugulethu backyarders claim De Lille betrayal
GUGULETHU backyarders who have been illegally occupying private property are accusing mayor Patricia de Lille of betraying an agreement.
Ludwe Joka said there had been a meeting planned between backyarders and the mayor yesterday.
“She was supposed to meet us at her office to give an update on developments regarding negotiations with the landowners,” he said.
However, the mayor’s spokesperson, Xolani Koyana, denied this.
“There was no planned meeting. The mayor met them twice last week. Today she is meeting the leadership of backyarders and informal settlements from Philippi.”
Joka said city officials were avoiding meeting them.
“The City is scared of us. They know that the first thing we will raise will be the betrayal of an agreement we had. The mayor doesn’t want to face us.
“She is now going to all these different areas.”
However, Noshumi Noji, another Gugulethu backyarder, said things had become calmer.
“We bought new material to rebuild the structures which were destroyed by the authorities on Tuesday. We are just waiting to meet with the mayor,” she said.
Noji said representatives had planned on going to meet with the mayor, as, according to them, the disputed meeting still stands.
More than a week ago, frustrated backyarders occupied four vacant land areas in Gugulethu. They barricaded roads with burnt tyres, torched a car in front of popular braai place Mzoli’s and damaged the premises.
Simultaneously, a similar land invasion protest was happening in Philippi.
Residents of Klipfontein, near Marikana informal settlement in Philippi, said they were being terrorised by Philippi backyarders who wanted to invade the land that they were occupying.
Klipfontein community leader Yvonne Barthies said the 60 hectares of land they were living on was not enough to house all of them. “We can’t be mushroomed in this small piece of land by these invaders.
“This is our ancestral land. If we allow the invaders in, we will sit with a major problem,” she said.
Philippi backyarders said in defence that they were tired of paying rent.
Vayithu Mjizi said: “We want a place to stay, that is all. We will live on any vacant land so the government can start building us houses.”
‘THIS IS OUR ANCESTRAL LAND. IF WE ALLOW THE INVADERS IN, WE WILL SIT WITH A MAJOR PROBLEM’