Hatred of foreigners is placing a R62-million housing project in a township outside Kommetjie at risk after a group of residents said they didn’t want the project to receive donor money from ”makwerekwere”.
Two weeks ago about 200 people living in shacks in the small Masiphumelele settlement between Fish Hoek and Cape Point attacked and stabbed the chairperson of a local community housing organisation and threatened its fundraiser because he is a white man, originally from Europe.
Lutz van Dijk, fundraiser and board member of housing NGO Amakhaya Ngoku, which initiated the development, is according to locals opposed to the development a ”kwerekwere”.
”That man is a foreigner and he’s forcing us to move. We don’t want to live in flats — we want houses and we don’t want Lutz’s money because he is a corrupt foreigner who doesn’t belong in South Africa,” said Simon Kiti, spokesperson for the group of residents opposed to the development.
”We don’t want their money. We don’t want money from the private sector. We want the government to come and build us houses — the ANC is on our side on this issue and said we don’t have to move,” he said.
Kiti claims to represent 152 families, all members of the ANC, who refuse to move.
Amakhaya Ngoku (meaning ”homes now”) was formed in 2006 by local residents after a fire destroyed about 400 shacks, leaving more than 1 000 people homeless. After months of consultations and meetings residents agreed the shortage of land made free-standing houses impossible and settled for 352 sectional title flats. The project will offer residents a rent-to-buy scheme that allows them to rent their homes for four years at R400 a month, after which they can buy and own them.
Last week the chairperson of Amakhaya Ngoku, Themvinkosi Kitchen, was stabbed and stoned by residents opposed to the building project.
Amakhaya Ngoku is under immense pressure to start construction this week to fulfil the funding conditions of some of its 20 major international sponsors. Foreign donations are contributing more than R35-million to the project and failure to start building soon could put some of this money at risk, as well as increase building costs.
Kiti also objected to foreign nationals living in the temporary site to which Masiphumelele inhabitants have been relocated while construction is under way.
”We will not move from the school site [the area earmarked for the development] because some kwerekwere tells us to move. Why are foreigners the beneficiaries of houses when they don’t even belong in South Africa? Those people come here with their corruption and drug money using bribes. Only government should build houses,” Kiti said.
Originally from the Netherlands, Van Dijk came to South Africa to work for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission seven years ago and decided to settle in the country. He is the director of an orphanage in Masiphumelele. He receives no payment from Amakhaya Ngoku and will make no money out of the housing project.
The divisions within the community started after the city council identified 23 families set to receive flats on the school site as already having benefited from subsidised houses elsewhere. The families were told they couldn’t receive subsidies twice and their names were removed from the list.
”When that happened, suddenly they started with all their other complaints against the project. Suddenly they didn’t want flats, but wanted houses. Now they’re jumping on this kwerekwere-wagon and the ANC leadership are not stopping them causing this problem to escalate,” said Bulelwa Jafta, secretary of Amakhaya Ngoku.
Officials from local construction company Jolinde Construction tried to talk to Kiti and a group of about 15 men on Monday morning to try to convince them to vacate the land.
”You need a court interdict to come and stand here. This land is ours and we will not move. Go away,” Kiti said. ”This is not the old South Africa where whites can say ‘go’ and then we jump. Come back when you have a court order. The ANC said we’re entitled to stay here.”
Later that day Jolinde started clearing and fencing off the land around those families who refused to move. On Tuesday night the tyres of all the big construction vehicles were slashed, causing damage estimated at R40 000. On Wednesday the rest of the defiant community vowed to go ahead with the project, even though some shacks are still standing on the site.
Provincial ANC chair Mcebisi Skwatsha said the problem in Masiphumelele stems from the divisions within the ANC. ”We need to address this issue urgently. If these people are discriminating against other people or foreigners, they’re going to be very disappointed,” Skwatsha said, promising to intervene speedily.
It took Amakhaya Ngoku two years to secure the land and get the go-ahead for the project. Earlier this year government pledged R27,5-million for the project. The shortfall was made up by donations from England, Germany, Holland and Australia, as well as from South African individuals. By far the smallest amount came from South Africans.
At a gratitude ceremony held this week at the nearby temporary relocation area for residents, mayor Helen Zille, who spoke in isiXhosa amid loud cheers and ululation from the community, said there comes a time when one can talk no more but has to start doing.
”We can’t keep on talking about this development. Two years was long enough. It’s now time for building. Amakhaya Ngoku! Not Amakhaya Landelayo! [subsequent houses, houses coming afterwards]”.
University of Cape Town Professor Denis Goldberg, Rivonia trialist and member of the advisory committee of Amakhaya Ngoku, said on Wednesday last week: ”You, as Amakhaya Ngoku, reinforce in me the belief that the long, long years in prison, in my case 22 years, were indeed worthwhile.”