Although the settlement has been established for close to two decades, it has finally been officially recognised by the City of Cape Town as an informal settlement.
Kapteinsklip informal settlement situated along Yellowwood Street in Tafelsig houses 80 structures with around 50 children and more than 100 adults.
Following their registration on the City’s database, this means services can be rolled out, including a planned reblocking of the community.
Ward 82 councillor, Washiela Harris, says the reblocking will include formal roads, structures built in a way that discourages spreading fires and other amenities. This process should hopefully begin in the new financial year, says Harris, but no dates have been finalised.
Talks on the optimal location is also still in progress.
“We want to bring dignity back to our people. Living like this for 12 years, somehow someone needs to come back and say ‘enough’. When is it their chance? I am their voice, but I have also said nothing about them without them,” says Harris.
“I could not understand why the City could not give lighting and services and when something happens, police can’t come in. Last year they were officially registered as an informal settlement and they are now on the City’s database and can be reblocked.”
Site visit
She has taken a delegation of community leaders to a site visit to informal settlements Pook se Bos near Athlone and Flamingo Heights in Lansdowne to see what the posibilities are and engage with leadership where reblocking has already taken place.
Wanting them to represent their own community, Harris encouraged the elected leaders to establish an official organisation.
“The City does not work with individuals, they work with NPOs. When you are an organisation, you can be on the ward committee, you can apply for grant in aid. I want them to be part and parcel of all these different structures where they can get assistance and help, where they are being their own voice,” she says.
“Organisations come and they use our people to get sponsorships, but the things never come to the people. Opening their own NPO means they can ask on behalf of themselves.”
But, this is only the beginning, and a New Beginning for the community, as the name of their registered non-profit organisation.
Founded by the executive leadership elected by the community, New Beginnings chair Colin Kayles says: “This is for our children and our elderly. Those who cannot help themselves. With the help of the City and their programmes, we want to help our youth as well. There are a lot who are unemployed and don’t have IDs. We also want to establish our own ECD.”
There are around 50 children in the settlement and two residents have already atteneded a course to become registered early childhood development teachers. While most of the children are at schools, starting their own ECD will assist the children who are currently not at other schools and daycares.
Improving lives
One of the first residents, Gadieja Skippers who is also the assitant treasurer, says the informal settlement started with 20 families.
“We were chased from one place to another, until we came here,” she says. “It was difficult when we came here, we just take anything we can find to make our structures.”
Water and toilets have already been connected, improving the overall sanitation of the community, says acting secretary Liezel Stuurman.
“Having this NPO will help us,” says Stuurman.
Their greatest needs are for blankets, clothing and rain-proofing materials, says Kayles, as well as food parcels as winter months approach.
Outside of the daily initiatives to improve their lives, they have also planted several gardens to beautify their space. They hope to also grow their own vegetables to feed the community.
While they have survived all this time without electricity, the residents say they are happy to see progress made, and are working with the City and councillor to improve their lives.
To donate to the community, contact Colin Kayles on 063 245 1849, Gadieja Skippers on 061 646 5471 or Liezel Stuurman on 062 156 2580.
