Backyard dwellers plan to shut down the city today

CHAOS is expected in over 13 areas today after an online call for people in backyard dwellings to protest the lack of housing opportunities provided by the provincial government.

Gatvol Capetonian member Fadiel Adams said: “We are giving the City and the state an ultimatum that if they don’t have a solution for the housing crisis, there will be consequences.”

Adams said the Gatvol Capetonian campaign will be targeting the arterial roads into the Cape Town CBD between 5am and 11am.

Some of these areas include Beacon Valley, Tafelsig, Eastridge, Woodlands, Parkwood, Lavender Hill, Kensington, Factreton, Ocean View, Elsies Rivier, Delft, Bo-Kaap, Ottery, Egoli informal settlement and Mamre.

During a Cape Talk radio interview Adams came under attack from callers who objected to not being able to go to work.

“I do feel for the people that will be inconvenienced by this, but I expect the middle class to understand what the poor go through on a daily basis,” Adams said. He also said he did not advise the communities who would be protesting on how to demonstrate.

“Nothing more than burning tyres will be tolerated. We will not throw stones, or harass people in their cars,” he said.

“We work with around 1 500 youths and we feel very despondent when we get notified that our funding has been rejected. There have been cases where we have applied a year in advance and get rejected.

“This establishment is for the youth, trying to get them off the streets and we are not getting any funding for it,” said Shaquille Southgate, Heal the Hood senior administrator.

Spokesperson for the City, Luthando Tyhalibongo, said: “All applications for event funding go through a stringent process, headed up by the City’s Special Events Committee.

“Funding is based on their business plans and the budgets stipulated…

“While the City looks at the potential for social economic development or benefit, social cohesion, destination marketing, (it also looks for) impact on hospitality industry and job creation…

“The City provides support to events in the form of transferred funds, City services and event services.

“These amounts make up the total offering as stated in the budget.”