While the rest of the world celebrates Nelson Mandela’s birthday month, residents of Kliptown plan to march in protest against poor service delivery in the area and deliver a memorandum to Madiba when he visits the area on Saturday.
Kliptown, home to 14 000 people, has no drainage systems and no basic electricity. Contaminated water runs in streams on its dusty streets, releasing an odour of sewage — and the bucket toilet system does no justice to the air either.
Residents say that they have been trying to reach out to the government about their living conditions, but nothing has been done.
”We have tried everything to get them to listen to us, but it was all in vain. I am not saying that this march is a guarantee that we will get some action from the government, but it will be one of the many things we are prepared to do just to be heard,” said Maria van Wyk (32) on Friday.
Van Wyk, who has lived in Kliptown all her life, said that marching against Madiba’s birthday celebrations is the only way to obtain houses and get the government to listen to their cries. ”We are really desperate,” she said.
At a community meeting on July 6, the residents decided not to welcome Mandela when he arrives to celebrate his birthday in Kliptown because of the failure of the African National Congress to deliver on its promises since 1994.
Not everyone agrees with the protest plan, though. A 26-year-old community leader who did not want to be identified said he doesn’t think the march is necessary.
”I honestly don’t see why we should spoil Mandela’s day. My problem with this march is driven by political parties and it is not a reflection of how the people of Kliptown feel. These people have their own political agendas and they are taking advantage of our desperation,” he said.
He added: ”I know that we don’t have a lot of things in Kliptown but destroying Tata’s day is definitely not the right way to go about getting our voices heard.”
Patience Malamla’s four children were all born while she was living in her three-roomed shack in Kliptown. The 38-year-old has lived there for 18 years and heard all the promises made to residents over the years.
”Every time there is a new development in Kliptown we are invited and shown those structures, but each time we have to move in, we see new people moving in,” she said.
She said she understands that Mandela achieved a lot while serving as South Africa’s president, but added that since 1994 nothing has happened.
”I unfortunately will be working on Saturday but I think my community should march just to make Mandela see how serious we are about this, and maybe he will influence the government to move swiftly with developing Kliptown.”
Lebohang Mekgwe (23) said she will not march on Saturday because she believes that the housing shortcomings in Kliptown are not Mandela’s fault.
”If Mandela was still in power, we would have houses by now. He didn’t have enough time as a president to do all the things that he promised,” she said, adding that the current government has failed them. ”I hold no grudges against Mandela. He was a fine president.”