Homes vandalised in Nyanga housing dispute

Four years after the houses were built, people in Nyanga are still vandalising them beyond repair.

In 2010, the Department of Housing in Nyanga built 58 houses as one of the initiatives to eliminate shacks in the area. Weeks after the development was done, residents around the area had a dispute about who would have access to the houses. The dispute was amongst shack dwellers from Freedom Square and backyard dwellers from Zwelitsha.

Today those houses which were once fully built are being vandalized and broken into pieces by the angry residents of Nyanga. Currently all 58 houses have no roofs, doors, windows or toilets. Dwellers have demonstrated their anger towards each other by vandalizing them.

According to Nothemba Nkali (30) from Zwelitsha, the plan was that people from Zwelitsha and Freedom square were supposed to share the houses 50/50. She said that was not the case. Instead, when the houses were allocated they were given to the people from Freedom Square.

“We do not understand why the people who stay in shacks get first preference, when those who have been staying in Nyanga for years do not get houses at all. Since 2004, we were waiting for houses. We stay in backyards hoping that the government will give us our own house. But no, instead the houses are given to people who are not even from Nyanga nor from Cape Town.”

“People who stay in shacks are not Capetonians,” said one of the backyard dwellers.

According to Mzimasi Mangwali, ward councillor for Nyanga, the problem with the houses is that when people signed up for them, they were not told where exactly they will be located. The backyard dwellers from Zwelitsha assumed they would receive houses in the Mpetha Square area since its near their homes. They did not know that they might get them elsewhere.

Speaking on behalf of the City of Cape Town, Mangwali said the City is disappointed because it will cost about R5 million to fix the houses. He said that people did not understand that it costs a lot of money and time for such a project to be successful, and yet people took it for granted.

Nkali said meetings were held in June about a way forward. The Nyanga housing committee, residents, and the councillor were present. She said that at the meeting the council came up with a new plan for development that will benefit all residents in Nyanga. But the residents did not seem to agree on anything.

“The problem in Nyanga is not about the council or the Department of Housing. It is about people who are jealous of each other and who are greedy. More than 300 houses were built in Freedom Square last year and we did not fight about who gets those houses. I think they should be fair and give the elders of Zwelitsha a chance to own houses before they pass on,” said Nkali.

In response to Ms Nkali, Mr Mangwali said that the backyard dwellers are selfish. At least they have homes and a proper roof over their heads, while those in shacks live in extremely poor conditions.

“There is a plan to fix the houses in Nyanga and also there is a plan to build other houses in the area. But if the residents do not see eye to eye, then no one will have the interest to bring any positive development to the area. If I do not manage to fix the problem now then the next councillor will fix it, after five years,” he said.