Freedom Charter’s ideals not reflected in Kliptown
Residents decry lack of housing
Sixty two years after the Freedom Charter was adopted in Kliptown, Soweto, to ensure equality, dignity and freedom for all, the historic township resembles a filthy slum.
The Freedom Charter said “all people shall have the right to live where they choose, to be housed and to bring up their families in comfort and security”.
Yet the wishes inked in the charter have not materialised in this dusty community in Johannesburg.
Corrugated zinc shacks, rocky roads polluted by sewage, badly serviced communal toilets and taps are part of life here – the site of increasing housing protests.
Residents vandalised part of the Walter Sisulu Square in the past week, demanding transparency in the allocation of homes.
Protesters accuse housing department officials of corruption and sidelining those who applied for houses in 1996.
Some pensioners have lost hope of ever getting a brick structure to call home. Partially blind Matsatsi Makgetha is one of many who have received countless notification letters saying her home will be issued soon, but the 65-yearold has lost faith in the system.
“I applied for a house in 1996. All I have received is letters saying my house will be issued soon. But nothing has happened,” said a bed-ridden Makgetha.
She shares a single room with her unemployed daughter and five grandchildren. The family survives on her pension and grandchildren’s grants. Combined, the grants amount to R2 360 per month.
Rental flats have been built opposite Walter Sisulu Square and rent-to-own apartments are available along the Pimville golf course to house locals.
Klipspruit, Lufhereng, Lehae and Fred Clark have a number of homes given to Kliptown residents. But many claim these recent developments have mainly benefitted a small number of people.
Thulani Madondo, cofounder of Kliptown Youth Programme which provides two daily meals to 460 children in the community, said: “The majority of people in Kliptown are unemployed, how can they afford to live in these rental flats? We were told Klipspruit West RDPs will be given to people of Kliptown, but that did not happen.
“Seventy percent of the people in Klipspruit West are from other areas and some are foreign nationals who bought these houses through corrupt dealings.”
Madondo is a recipient of the 2012 Top 10 CNN Heroes Award.
He believes the challenges facing Kliptown can be resolved through increased skills development programmes and job opportunities for the youth.
Gauteng’s department of human settlements said over 5000 RDP houses had been provided to Kliptown residents and more will be rolled out soon.
Departmental spokesman Keith Khoza acknowledged that corruption had negatively affected the distribution of houses, but said efforts had been made to counter that.
He, however, denounced the violence carried out by people demanding houses.
Kliptown ward 19 councillor Pam Sibanyoni said land has been identified in Klipspruit that will have 2 500 RDPs for applicants from Kliptown.