Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Masi leaders try to keep peace
‘We understand why people are angry’
A GROUP of Masiphumelele leaders is taking on the complex task of trying to calm thousands of residents intent on going on the rampage to protest against police.
“It’s not an easy thing to be done by anyone. But as a leader there are times you must make an unpopular decision,” Tshepo Moletsane, one of the community leaders, said this week.
For more than a month Masiphumelele has been the scene of a spate of mob killings and violent protests.
In one of the latest flare-ups, residents barricaded roads with burning debris early on Tuesday.
Three days earlier, hundreds of residents had gone on the rampage, storming nearby Fish Eagle Business Park, and setting alight two boats, a car and bus.
This wave of violence began because community leader Lubabalo Vellem was arrested about a week ago and detained.
Residents wanted Vellem, who yesterday made a second appearance in the Simon’s Town Magistrate’s Court on charges including murder and assault, released from custody and took to the streets to protest against his detention.
The violence has resulted in Grade 12 pupils being removed from the area to be housed elsewhere so they can study and write exams at a location being kept secret for their safety.
Residents said those driving the recent protests in the area were youngsters fed up with their living conditions.
They said younger residents looked up to Vellem, who they think fights crime in the area.
This week Moletsane, 37, told Weekend Argus that when Vellem made his first court appearance on Monday and was remanded afterwards, community leaders had their hands full trying to keep residents calm.
“As community leaders, we believe any actions we take on, we need to take it on within the rule of law.
“We convened a public meeting in Masiphumelele and said this. There are people who listened and unfortunately people who did not welcome the decision of the court,” he said.
Despite being told to remain calm, some residents barricaded roads in the early hours of Tuesday.
“I was under pressure as a community leader. People needed to go to work and learn- ers need to focus on their exams,” Moletsane said.
He and other leaders turned to taxi bosses and drivers in the community, getting them on board to help calm residents.
“From there on there was peace. We told people to go to work without fear of being intimidated.
“We got the taxi industry on our side and they cleaned up debris that was in the roads.”
Nontembiso Madikane, 63, is another community leader who helped bring some calm to Masiphumelele.
“We talked to the people and told them learners are writing exams and workers need to get to work or they could end up without jobs. The taxi people and pastors also intervened,” he said.
Older residents were not keen to disrupt the area. But the youngsters were the problem. “They’re very young. Some of them are even meant to be at school. With them, you can’t talk down to them.”
Madikane offers assistance when there are shack fires or other disasters.
“The youngsters know me, so I can talk to them. It’s almost like they’re my friends.”
This week Lutz van Dijk, a Dutch-German writer who 14 years ago co-founded the organisation Hokisa and who helps run a children’s home in Masiphumelele, said he understood why the younger generation was more impatient than older residents.
“Fifteen years ago there were no gangs and no drugs in Masiphumelele. Now it’s different.
“There are 40 000 people staying in one of the most dense and overpopulated areas in the Western Cape,” he said.
The children’s home he runs has been badly affected by the protests.
“We had to evacuate all the children twice the past three weeks as our kids suffered from tear gas and from the smoke of burnt tyres. We also found several rubber bullets at the playground in our garden.”
While he was against breaking the law, Van Dijk said he understood why residents were incensed that Vellem had been arrested.
He wanted Vellem to be released from police custody, and had started raising funds for his possible release on bail.
Residents from areas surrounding Masiphumelele were among those who had donated money.
“The riots will get worse if he isn’t released,” Van Dijk warned.