Leaders from the Phumlani Section, at Covid informal settlement in Mfuleni, have dismissed a possible development of the area without their involvement.
The rejection follows a site visit by Ward 114 councillor Mongezi Madikane last month.
According to the leaders, Madikane and employees of a construction company visited the area to identify alternative residential sites in Phumlani for the residents who are in waterlogged areas.
The leaders say the City plans to relocate some of the shack dwellers from Covid into their section.
They are accusing Madikane of trying to bully them into submission.
Leader Luyolo Mzobeshe stated that nothing would happen in the area without their knowledge. He claimed that since the councillor took over he never visited them or conducted a community meeting in the neighbourhood. “We don’t have a councillor here. Since he assumed the councillor’s office he had a single meeting with us. We thought he would come during the election campaign to canvas here but he didn’t,” he said.
Mzoboshe accused Madikane of trying to divide the community. He said they were perplexed when he visited the area under City police protection. “We are demanding the councillor to come with the City’s officials to explain to us what is going on here. We demand clarity about what is going to happen here. We can’t see a contractor working without knowing it. We need a proper engagement,” he explained.
Mzoboshe appealed for the provision of basic services ahead of any development. He said they have been residing in the area for over four years but have no toilets, water and electricity.
“Other areas from other places have temporary toilets and water. Here we have nothing. Madikane never came here even a single day,” he said.
Another leader Bathandwa Gali accused Madikane of unilaterally making decisions. “In 2023, we saw people digging here installing big pipes. The residents approached us asking about the project. We had to go to the contractor and ask them. And we had to fight for our people to work on the project,” explained Gali.
He said all they need is a decent conversation with their councillor about developments in the community.
Gali accused Madikane of being arrogant.
A livid Madikane rubbished the allegations levelled against him. He labelled claims that he never visited the area as “blatant lies”. He singled out Gali as the instigator of the protest against him.
Madikane stated that community leaders of Phumlani do not want people from other areas to be relocated to Phumlani.
He said there are 4 000 people who are in the wetlands and supposed to be removed to a suitable land within Covid.
“Phumlani is part of Covid. It is not the extension of Driftsands. I fail to understand that they think their area is separated from Covid. When I came into the office as councillor in 2021 the project was already approved in 2020. Since last year, I have called several meetings for all the community leaders of Covid, including Phumlani to talk about this project. Other leaders from other areas came but Gali and his leadership didn’t come. I asked the area committee members to inform Gali to come to the meeting of which he failed to do,” said Madikane, adding that Gali is the main man in the area and the whole community listens to him.
He accused Gali of illegally benefitting from that land. “Gali is running a business of illegal sand mining there. He is not staying there. His house is in Site C. He goes there to do business and that is a fact. That is why he is stopping the project,” said Madikane, adding that what Gali is doing is not in the interest of the community but for his own benefit.
