Bhanga angers Westville residents

ANGRY Westville residents expressed their dissatisfaction yesterday after Nelson Mandela Bay human settlements political head Nqaba Bhanga failed to arrive at a scheduled meeting with them.

A number of violent service delivery protests have taken place in Westville, near KwaDwesi, lately.

Bhanga had agreed to meet the residents, who occupied the land in the area 17 years ago.

Residents have been told they would be relocated to make way for development, but they have refused to move.

They did not take kindly when told Bhanga would not be at the meeting.

Resident Siyolise Mtshengu said the residents had been looking forward to engaging with Bhanga.

“The community is angry. They were ready to go to the street and had to be calmed down,” she said.

Mtshengu claimed Bhanga had phoned her in the afternoon, saying they were waiting for representatives of the residents at the municipality’s Pleinhuis boardroom.

She said he claimed to have provided those details to another community member at an earlier date.

“He claimed to have conveyed it to a person whom we do not even know,” Mtshengu said.

Mayoral spokesman Sibongile Dimbaza last night apologised for the communication breakdown.