Groups of people living in shacks along Cape Town’s railway line made it clear to the national ministers responsible for human settlements, transport and public works that they had no interest in discussing ‘political affiliations’ and just wanted a better place to live.
More than 8 000 dwellers make up the communities that have been occupying spaces near train stations since the hard COVID-19 lockdown and will now be relocated.
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Ministers Mmamoloko Kubayi, Sindisiew Chikunga and Sihle Zikalala met with the families living on the land owned by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) on Monday at the Ruth First Community Hall in Philippi.
In an effort to get the long-neglected rail up and running, Prasa plans to relocate individuals living within a 10-metre radius of the tracks by the end of the month. This restoration project will be a financial burden for taxpayers.
As reported by TimesLIVE, Kubayi attributed the delay in land acquisition for relocation to the City of Cape Town. She stated that her department had provided funds to the City for the purchase of land for the shack dwellers, but the money was subsequently returned to the National Treasury. Kubayi disclosed that she had now initiated an intergovernmental dispute with the city, and if the matter remained unresolved, legal action would be considered.
Kubayi said, ‘There are two land parcels. The first has been purchased. The second has not been purchased because the city returned the money to the National Treasury.’
She added, ‘So until we get the money back, we will not be able to purchase the land. It’s a bit of a challenge because the National Treasury confirmed that they received the money from the city. That’s why from Prasa’s point of view, we need to shift people so that they can operate. Until we have the land in our hands, we still have challenges.’
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Kubayi said that city officials had received invitations to the meeting but ‘decided not to come’. She mentioned that she initiated an intergovernmental dispute as she feels that the Department of Human Settlements is currently experiencing a lack of cooperation and collaboration from the City of Cape Town.
‘The mayor was clear that he is not going to get involved, it is not his problem. And I don’t understand where these people belong because they belong to the City of Cape Town. They don’t belong to the national government. It’s an unfortunate situation and what we have decided as national government, is that we will continue to engage the communities and approach the National Treasury.’
‘We are doing everything in our power to try to resolve the problem. To me, it’s not about who was wrong and who should have done what. I have a situation on my hands where people are sitting on Prasa land and they need to move. My duty … is the provision of shelter to the most vulnerable — if there are women and children there, I have a responsibility to provide for them,’ Kubayi said.
A resident and leader of the shack dwellers who live on the Philippi line, Zanele Ngcobongwana, said the community is not ‘interested in political affiliations’ and only wants an improved living environment.
Ngcobongwana added, ‘We want the trains to be restored because taxis are costly. What makes us angry is attending meetings. This dates back to days when Fikile Mbalula was transport minister.’
‘We were promised a lot of things and these things are irritating. The situations we come from are not the same as the ones you come from. I used to say I hate government processes because they take time, and they are bedevilled by corruption and lies. The project is moving at a snail’s pace. We don’t have toilets. People come here and promise all manner of things to gain publicity and nothing happens.’
Ngcobongwana noted that without the involvement of the late community activist Loyiso Nkohla, they would have faced eviction with no alternative housing. Tragically, Nkohla was fatally shot at the Phillipi train station in April.
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‘You keep telling us about legislation that we don’t understand. We are not mad that we could go and live in a swamp. We are also human. We were hit hard by Covid-19. We don’t want political affiliations in this project,’ she said.
Ngcobongwana believes President Cyril Ramaphosa should step in and take action: ‘President Cyril Ramaphosa keeps quiet while people are dying. This is a presidential project — he should intervene.’
‘The City of Cape Town never co-operated from the beginning. We will be moved for three months and placed somewhere but we also need a permanent solution.’
‘Let’s not pretend that things are well. Some of you woke up in hotels, but we woke up in a filthy place. We don’t have toilets; we use plastics and throw them in the neighbourhood. We don’t have water and electricity. Our parents are on medication. We live in filth. We signed a social compact, but nothing is coming our way. We want trains about they won’t function if we don’t get what we are asking for.’
Mxoleleni Ngutyana, the spokesperson for the shack dwellers living on Prasa land in Langa, expressed similar concerns as Ngcobongwana. He said the community lost four children due to electrocution from illegal power connections.
‘The kids were playing and leant against the shacks and died. We need toilets,’ he said.
Following the meeting, the City issued a statement indicating that it is fulfilling its role as the impartial planning authority responsible for overseeing the Prasa and Housing Development Agency’s (HDA) request for relocating unlawful occupants along the Prasa central line.
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The City stated that Prasa had petitioned the high court for an eviction order after being unable to protect its property from unauthorised occupation.
The statement read:
‘The city is required to impartially administer this application process under the municipal planning bylaw, and continues to assist Prasa’s implementing agent, the HDA, to pass compliance and completion checks for their submission dated August 10 2023. No resubmission has been received to date.
The central line was subjected to a land invasion just before the national Covid-19 lockdown.
The order includes the provision of alternative emergency occupation, with Prasa appointing HDA to undertake land acquisition, planning approval applications and relocation of the unlawful occupants.
As per the signed intergovernmental protocol agreement, Prasa and HDA as its appointed agent, are responsible for the relocation, while the city’s role is limited to that of planning authority and the provision of basic services.
The city was neither the applicant in this eviction nor is it the landowner of the unlawfully occupied line or the proposed land for relocation. Prasa and their agent, the HDA, are fully responsible for the relocation and obtaining the necessary funding and approvals for this.
The city has repeatedly and consistently made it clear that it will not take responsibility for Prasa’s central line relocation programme, or the buying of land for another government entity.
The city wants to see trains running in Cape Town, and that includes the devolution of passenger rail for the city to run in the best interests of commuters.’
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Picture: Prasa Group
