Vrygrond forum gives De Lille its demands
RESIDENTS of Vrygrond marched to the steps of the Cape Town Civic Centre yesterday and refused to allow Patricia de Lille to address them.
Hundreds of people assembled outside to hand over a memorandum to the mayor.
“We decided to protest because we are very disappointed that we have not had any progress on our demands,” said chairperson of the Vrygrond Development Forum, Mike Kumalo.
Among some of the residents’ demands included better service delivery, housing, a clinic and the construction of a new school, a police station, land for farming, an oldage home and a multi-purpose centre.
De Lille arrived to address the residents but told them she had limited time because she had to rush to another engagement.
“She gave us the impression that she was taking us for granted and we were upset,” Kumalo said
This is the fifth time De Lille has tried to reach consensus with residents, who brought the area to a standstill in months of violent protests and looted a bottle store.
At the centre of the protest is a piece of land known as Xakabantu, which residents have vowed to occupy. It belongs to a neighbouring nature reserve.
“The residents want that land because the other land the city wants to give us cannot be used for housing, it’s too far away from all other basic services,” he said.
De Lille said she had met the forum on three occasions over the past two months to discuss service delivery concerns.
“The city has made it clear during these meetings and through correspondence with the forum that the land which was invaded is near an active landfill site.
“It has also been communicated that the process to de-proclaim the buffer zone falls under the ambit of the national and provincial governments. I have repeatedly told the forum that I’m willing to have further discussions and walk with them every step of the way as I have done with residents from other communities,”