Farouk Chothia
LAMONTVILLE residents have illegally occupied scores of homes built in the township south of Durban arguing that they have preference in terms of the government’s Reconstruction and Development Programme.
People took occupation of the houses — built by Stocks & Stocks for Toyota employees — last Sunday and have vowed not to move.
Said 24-year-old Remember Lushozi: “If I move out of here, it will be in a coffin. The RDP says we will have homes. (Housing Minister Joe) Slovo must support our action.” Lushozi added that, like other occupants, he had printed his name on the door and walls of his new home.
ANC Southern Natal regional executive committee member Eric Mtshali said the party did not “approve” of the occupation. “We have made it clear to Stocks & Stocks that the occupation has nothing to do with the ANC,” he added.
Mtshali said some Lamontville residents had planned to occupy the homes a fortnight ago.
Before the occupation, a mass meeting was held where the ANC’s branch executive committee managed to persuade people not to go ahead.
A second meeting last Sunday ended in “chaos” and “some residents” went to take over the homes.
Mtshali said the ANC regional office had still not decided how to deal with the matter; it was planning to meet local ANC leaders in Lamontville.
Observers point out that the occupation highlights the high expectations among ANC constituents in the light of their party’s victory in the April poll.
It also underlines the housing shortage in a province where, according to provincial housing and local government minister Peter Miller, one million homes need to be built by the year 2000.
But Miller, an IFP member, has far less ambitious plans than PWV premier Tokyo Sexwale.
While Sexwale hopes to build 150 000 homes annually, Miller’s target is a modest 20 000 for this year, doubling each year thereafter.
According to reports, Miller said that by the year 2000, the kwaZulu/Natal government can be expected to finance the building of 250 000 houses with a remaining 750 000 financed by the RDP.
In terms of Slovo’s plans, 50 000 houses will be built countrywide this year with the figure reaching 300 000 by the year 2001.