The Labour Party, which brought parliament to a standstill two weeks ago because of its opposition to the Group Areas Act, this week used the Act to force Africans out of a "mixed" area. Kleinskool, a mixed area outside Port Elizabeth, was this week declared "coloured" – a move backed by the Labour Party-controlled Coloured Management Committee. The move has been sharply criticized and is likely to cause a stir in the light of the party's stated opposition to the Group Areas Act, which recently caused a constitutional and parliamentary crisis.
Announced in a Government Gazette, the move will mean a number of people not classified coloured" will be forced to move elsewhere. The Reverend Allan Hendrickse, leader of the Labour Party, said yesterday the re-declaration of the area was “regrettable". However, it was done at the request of the local management committee, controlled by his party. A number of management committee members who last year testified before the group areas board in favour of the change are now standing for the Labour Party in the October municipal elections.
Asked to comment on the possible eviction of families in the area, Hendrickse said: "No more discussion, thank you very much." At the height of the parliamentary crisis over the Group Areas Act Hendrickse described his opposition to the Act as "non-negotiable". The Port Elizabeth branch of the Black Sash yesterday commented on the "deafening silence by the Labour Party over the status of Kleinskool so soon after repudiating the Group Areas Amendment Bill”.
Brian Matthew of the Midland Chamber of Industries said the area should be investigated with a view to upgrading and should be allowed to remain a mixed area. "We have difficulty in understanding why it has been proclaimed a ‘coloured' area when the member of parliament who is ‘coloured', has expressed regret." The George Civic Association of Lawaaikamp said they were very disappointed. "We know this decision, will mean the Kleinskool people will suffer the same insecurity as we have, since our area has also been declared a ‘coloured' group area."
A representative of the Port Elizabeth Anti-Removals Committee Melanie Preddy, condemned the move as "a callous and illogical decision". "How serious can the Labour Party be about its apparently firm stand on the Group Areas?" she asked. African residents who are evicted will have nowhere to move as other townships in the area are already overcrowded.
Kleinskool residents interviewed this week expressed shock at the decision and said they would resist moving. "Ek sal nie trek nie (I will not leave)," said John Bele, 70, who has two daughters who do domestic work in the area. During the group areas board hearing, the management committee cited the 1986 unrest as the main reason for pressing for Africans' removal.
T Lee, a member of the management committee, told the board the unrest – in which a school was burnt and a stay-away enforced by youths – was initiated by African residents. The land had to, be given back to the "rightful owners, the ‘coloureds'," he said. S Jagels, a committee member now standing for the Labour Party, said the city council should make sure people of different races lived in their own areas.
Hendrickse attended the hearing, but did not say anything. A number of Kleinskool residents made representations to the board, saying the community was harmonious. “ The has been no friction between us and we have been neigh, boars and friends, sharing between us and helping each other in times of need for over 60 years. " Kleinskool is a poor area, with most of the shacks built of wood and iron. Removals would pose many problems, including breaking up families and leaving many workers far from their places of employment.
According to the Kleinskooi Action Committee, "the relatively poor people share in times of need and this self-supporting system will break down if any are moved to other neighbourhoods." – Pen, Karen Evans.
This article originally appeared in the Weekly Mail.
