Mashatile tries to douse the flames of fury
ENNERDALE residents and leaders were firm in addressing Gauteng Human Settlements MEC Paul Mashatile during a meeting with him yesterday.
This comes after several days of protests over lack of housing and jobs in the area brought things to a complete standstill, with children missing almost a week of school.
Mashatile reiterated that the Department of Housing was dealing with the situation and acknowledged the process was taking too long for only 715 homes to be built.
“By next week we will address the community and we should be able to give an idea of when building will start,” he said.
“The community will not be anxious if they know what’s happening. If things are quiet, the community becomes restless,” he said.
Mashatile added that the community leaders and his officials must meet on a regular basis and that he should receive progress reports monthly.
There were several processes that had to be adhered to before building of homes could commence and he urged his department as well as City of Joburg officials to fast-track the procedures.
“Let’s go in with the spirit of getting things done and put this process back on track,” he said.
Not all residents were impressed by Mashatile’s address, with some telling him it was “boring”.
“Our townships are burning, this is not the response we expected. We are frustrated!” said Farouk Jardine.
“There is vast open land around us from Orange Farm to Eldos. We are giving you two weeks, otherwise we are going to build and take immediate occupation of this land and if we have to we will do it by force,” he warned.
Chairperson of the Ennerdale stakeholder association, Marge Cass, said the meeting had been productive, but was concerned that it took protest action to get government to listen to their pleas.
“Is this going to happen every time? Is the community going to have to go down the protest route and burn something every time we want to be heard?” she asked.
She also called on the department to expand the number of houses being built as 715 wasn’t enough for the 8 000 residents in need.
However, Cass did not condone land invasions: “I agree with the community members’ frustration, but if there is a land invasion it will cause friction within the community and we’ve had enough friction.”
She added that she hoped the homes would be built and that the project would be rolled out without violence.
Over the past five days several shops were looted in Ennerdale and surrounding areas, while threats were made to burn down schools and clinics by what community leaders deemed as a “criminal element” that had hijacked the protest.
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