Progress on Gugulethu land issue
A TRUCE has been brokered between protesting Gugulethu backyarders and Mayor Patricia de Lille to allow for negotiations, after almost a week of violent protests which saw major roads in Gugulethu being blocked and an attack at a popular tourist attraction Mzoli’s restaurant.
Backyarders’ representative Ludwe Joka said the negotiations “with the (private) owners of this land have taken off and the City is working on a meeting between us, the owners and the mayor’s committee”.
Despite De Lille meeting the backyarders’ leadership on Thursday, the backyarders continued invading a piece of land while the negotiations were under way.
“The ultimate plan is for us and the City to convince the owners to sell back the land to the City or at least lease the land until our houses are built,” said Joka.
He said in the meeting it was agreed that law enforcement agencies will no longer police the land in question by not dismantling shacks while the negotiations are ongoing.
“I must admit I am pleased so far with the progress made both by us and the City, but still I don’t want to jump over the waves yet, as it is still early stages.
“The first stage is to be heard and we have achieved that, the second stage is the negotiations, which is the most important of all and the third stage is to execute our plans,” said Joka.
De Lille’s spokesperson Zara Nicholson could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Last week, De Lille said, at a community meeting in Gugulethu that “the City (was) prepared to approach those landowners because they also have rights”.
The Weekend Argus reported that prominent Gugulethu business person and owner of tourist attraction Mzoli’s restaurant, Mzoli Ngcawuzele, was willing to hand over land in the area earmarked for a supermarket. The decision was made after protesters set a car on fire in front of his property, part of the building was damaged and the supermarket next door was looted.
Human Settlements MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela yesterday addressed Gugulethu residents on the upcoming Airport Precinct housing project that will see the creation of 7 400 housing opportunities for informal settlements along the N2.