West Cape News

Peter Luhanga

Doornbach shack dwellers who saw their shacks demolished in April but were then able to rebuild them after the City of Cape Town intervened are angry at the prospect of again seeing their homes demolished to make way for a new road linked to the Integrated Rapid Transit (IRT) system.

And although the 25 households on the boundary of Doornbach informal settlement are willing to move, they are dismayed at plans to accommodate them within the settlement because they say it is too densely populated to accommodate them.

In April, a developer paid selected community leaders to act as middle men in getting shack dwellers to demolish their shacks to make way for the construction of the road.
But the City of Cape Town then ordered the residents to rebuild their shacks on the same stands because no alternative land had been made available for them.

But now, however, the city intends to accommodate the residents inside Doornbach informal settlement.
Community leader David Nondudule said the residents had agreed to be relocated only if land was made available outside of Doornbach, situated near Du Noon in Milnerton.

Nondudule, a father of nine children whose shack is also in line to be moved, said to his shock about 30 Metro police officers and city officials were seen in the informal settlement yesterday (10/06/2009) identifying unoccupied space so new shacks could be built to accommodate the shack dwellers.

This followed a city contractor having to take down shacks built on Tuesday due to dissatisfaction from Doornbach residents.

Nondudule said residents inside the informal settlement did not want “extra” occupants as the informal settlement was already congested.

A resident inside the informal settlement, Mniki Plaatjie, said they did not want the 25 families to be squeezed into the settlement.

Plaatjie said the open spaces were of help when the settlement caught fire as their salvaged belongings were kept there.

Blaauwberg sub-council chair Vincent Bergh confirmed plans to accommodate the residents within Doornbach.
Bergh said the road was necessary for the IRT system because it would line up with an existing road in nearby Du Noon called Usasadza Road.

He said residents occupying the needed space would be moved to abandoned shacks inside the informal settlement. A foot bridge would also be constructed over Potsdam Road.
“The road would benefit the Integrated Rapid Transit (IRT) system, the developer and the community. We desperately need that road,” he said. — West Cape News