The tornado may have passed, but those left homeless are still facing a storm over housing, reports Marianne Merten
Residents of the devastated Cape Flats areas of Manenberg, Surrey Estate and Guguletu are bracing themselves for a potentially long wait for new homes while politicians this week haggled over disaster relief until President Thabo Mbeki stepped in.
Almost a week after a tornado left a swath of crumbling buildings in the oldest part of Manenberg, there has been little information about how the affected 5 000 people will be housed. Families have been broken up as relatives are sheltering people, often in overcrowded conditions. NGOs and volunteers of community and religious groups are at the centre of providing food and clothing.
Much political energy has been spent claiming credit for relief work in the aftermath of the disaster. The African National Congress-dominated Cape Town City Council and the New National Party- dominated provincial administration set up their own disaster fund amid claims the other has violated protocol and procedures. The Western Cape government announced a R500 payment to each of the affected families from the social welfare budget as council officials were still assessing the extent of the damage.
The political squabbling first erupted hours after the disaster. The trigger: where Premier Gerald Morkel should sit during a hastily convened media briefing by city officials in the yard of the Manenberg police station. MEC for Social Services Peter Marais loudly objected to the premier being left out.
Since then resentment has been bubbling in the provincial offices over what has been described as a snub. The failure of city officials to show up at a provincial planning meeting and their apparent resistance to pressure for the Cape Metropolitan Council to take over the disaster management have not eased tensions.
Around noon on Sunday Marais also challenged businesses “which make their money from the people of Manenberg” to donate food, blankets and clothes. At that stage, however, local mosques, churches and community centres had already started making sandwiches and cooking a food. Volunteers were sorting through dozens of black bags of clothes and blankets donated by the business community and shocked residents.
Although Mbeki’s delayed visit to the devastated areas on Wednesday afternoon also caused some grumblings of discontent, he and several senior Cabinet ministers smoothed over the bickering. Said Cape Town mayor NomaIndia Mfeketo after the tour: “What was threatening to be political problems have been sorted out by your intervention.”
Morkel, who was only invited that afternoon, was given a place at the table for the media briefing and thanked the president.
Mbeki declared Manenberg, Surrey Estate and Guguletu disaster areas, enabling affected residents to apply to central government for assistance. In addition, two inter- political committees representing national, provincial and local government have been set up to co-ordinate all efforts. “I’d like to think all of us will be inspired by the spirit of the people, including the spirit of the people who lost property. I did not see gloom,” said Mbeki. “We can say as a country, the people here in greater Cape Town have done our country proud.”
The Cape Town City Council, which owns Manenberg’s now uninhabitable blocks of flats destroyed in the storm, expected an initial damage report on Thursday night. It will take about two weeks to determine details.
Cape Town city manager Andrew Borraine said only after the structural engineers’ report is received would a decision be taken whether to repair damaged houses or demolish them and rebuild from scratch. For the time being, the council is looking at temporary accommodation at army and police barracks for the homeless.
Pamphlets distributed since Wednesday inform residents where they need to register their claims. The council will compare details with its database of ownership. “No one can use this to jump the queue anywhere,” Borraine said.
It is clear the now homeless want nothing but to return to the area. Diane Robertson (60) and several relatives sat outside their wrecked home in Jordan Street on Monday afternoon. Their only wish is for the council to rebuild their houses.
The women were trying to retrieve the last of their belongings. Many of their possessions are missing, others are damaged beyond repair – and most of the appliances like the television and hi-fi have been bought on hire-purchase schemes. The women just shrug their shoulders and say they most probably have to continue paying for things they no longer have.
The Abrahams family are storing their furniture at the homes of relatives. Aisa Abrahams says they want to return as soon as possible to a rebuilt home.
Yet it seems the road to a new home may turn out to be fraught with confusion and officialdom.
Manenberg resident Shiehaam Stuurman said several of her relatives have already been told there would be no homes unless they registered with the Heideveld Rent Office. “We have been to the Heideveld office to register, to be in line for whatever. We must register there, otherwise we will not get a house again.”
Within hours of the destruction, residents from nearby areas distributed sandwiches and handed out sweet coffee from buckets set up amid the rubble. In spite of the area’s reputation as gangsters’ paradise, people rushed to offer help.
It took five hours after the storm struck for soldiers arrived to complement the police. They stood at the entrance point of the area discouraging people from entering, apparently in an attempt to stop thefts. Yet alleged thefts continued on Monday.
Community policing activist Freddie Joseph said the army was not sympathetic. “The army had orders not to let anyone in. People wanted to get their things out. Why didn’t they send in army trucks and help get everyone’s things out?”
On Sunday night, there was no sign of officialdom in the destroyed area as it descended into absolute darkness. At least five Nyalas filled with policemen and several army vehicles were parked along the edges of the wrecked area. It was up to members from neighbourhood watches from as far afield as Mitchells Plain to patrol the area. Several residents spent the night outside the shells of their homes to watch the last belongings they could not get out.
Manenberg resident and activist, Munroe Owen, said ordinary people just pulled together and helped out. “People of Manenberg stand together in times like this. Political, religious and other divides were simply set aside.”
Many shared this sentiment, adding that few in authority had ever come to the help of Manenberg. There is also widespread anger. Several residents blame the council for years of neglect to the flats. “Look what happened. The council never repaired these houses over the years. We can’t say the council does anything,” said Ismail Mintin.
Mintin has over the years renovated and improved the tiny flat he and his family were assigned to after government trucks loaded their possessions from their previous home in the now upmarket Tamboerskloof suburb. “I saved money for a long time [to refurbish]. Is the council going to reimburse me for all this work?”