Church removed for shacks

On Sunday, Gugulethu residents expressed their anger over a lack of housing by blocking NY1 with a bus shelter, bricks and burning tyres. Residents also forced churchgoers to remove the Gospel Church of Power constructed of wooden planks and corrugated iron sheets to make way for shack building.

Community leader Melvin Tshabalala said, “We have told the church leaders to remove the church from the land. We want them to show us evidence that they either had bought the land or they are renting it.”

“If the City says it is removing informal structures from the land, then it must also remove the church because it is also an informal structure,” said Tshabalala.

He said the church had been on the otherwise vacant land for about 25 years.

A churchgoer, who ask not to be named, protested against the removal. He said, “I used to use drugs, but the church changed my life and made me a child of God. It pains my heart to see my fellow churchgoers take it apart.”

The churchgoers loaded pieces of furniture from the church on vehicles.

Attempts to occupy three pieces of land in Gugulethu have been ongoing for over a week.

Community leader Sipho Hemeni said he and other homeless residents wanted the land. “Government doesn’t want to build houses for Gugulethu residents, who are mostly out of work, and crammed into small houses with their extended families.”

“I have never seen any activity on this land even though it has been vacant for about 40 years. I fail to understand why we can’t occupy it,” he said.

“My shack has been demolished three times [by the Anti-Land Invasion Unit] but I will build it again until the City allows me to occupy the land,” said Hemeni.

Captain FC Van Wyk of the South African Police Service said, “Public Order Police members are currently monitoring a group of about 100 community members protesting along NY6 in Gugulethu.”

He said tyres were still burning on the road on Monday. Several businesses and vehicles had been torched on Sunday in NY108.

“Four suspects were subsequently arrested for public violence. They are expected to appear in court soon,” said Van Wyk.

Update: comment from the City

City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member Area Central, Councillor Siyabulela Mamkeli said: “This is a private matter between the owners of the land and the community. The church is located on private land adjacent to City land which is in close proximity. The illegal, incomplete informal structures close by are situated on City land. The City removed more than ten new illegally built vacant structures.

“Gululethu was part of the 2015/16 financial year backyarder basic services rollout programme … to provide water and sanitation services to backyarders that reside in the City of Cape Town’s rental stock. The programme was not well received by the community to the extent that services were rejected by the greater backyarder community. This resulted in only 40 to 50 service points being installed.”

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