Gugs talks with mayor collapse

‘City council is still committed to having discussions with the residents’

NEGOTIATIONS between Mayor Patricia de Lille and Gugulethu backyarders protesting over a lack of housing have hit a deadlock, prompting the residents to block major roads in the area.

The backyarders said the last time they met with officials from De Lille’s office was on March 1.

Ludwe Joka, representing the Gugulethu backyarders, said a meeting scheduled for March 8 never materialised. He said officials from De Lille’s office did not honour the appointment.

He said the meeting on March 8 “was postponed at the last minute and it has been on and off ever since”.

He said since the meeting on March 1 “things have changed for the worse”.

He said on March 8 he spoke to the city council’s community liaison officer, Loyiso Nkohla, and proposed a meeting for March 10, but that never materialised.

Joka said the backyarders were unhappy that the city council’s Anti-Land Invasion Unit was dismantling their shacks and removing pegs placed on two sections of land, although an agreement with the mayor had been reached that the shacks would not be demolished until the talks was completed.

The Anti-Land Invasion Unit continued dismantling shacks yesterday. Police used stun grenades to disperse the backyarders. No one was arrested and no injuries were reported.

As soon as the law enforcement officers left the two sections of land the backyarders continued rebuilding their homes and started burning tyres on major roads in Gugulethu.

Billowing smoke covered the area, particularly Steve Biko Drive, NY 108 and NY 6. Motorists were forced to use alternate routes as stones and rubbish were thrown on these roads. Gugulethu has been on lockdown for more than a month as protesting backyarders demand to be housed on the vacant pieces of land.

Popular restaurant and tourist attraction Mzoli’s Butchery was set alight in February during protests. De Lille’s spokesperson, Xolani Koyana, said a meeting scheduled with the backyarders “had to be called off due to violence in the area”.

“The city council is still committed to holding discussions with the residents to find solutions to concerns raised and this has to be done in a peaceful manner.

“The city council is having discussions with landowners about the issue of the land, but at this stage there’s no indication what the outcomes of those talks will be,” Koyana said.

On Tuesday the Western Cape High Court will hear an application for an interdict by the owners of the land in question against the backyarders.