Groups of people living in shacks along Cape Town’s railway line made it clear to the national ministers responsible for human settlements, transport and public works that they had no interest in discussing ‘political affiliations’ and just wanted a better place to live.
Kubayi said, ‘There are two land parcels. The first has been purchased. The second has not been purchased because the city returned the money to the National Treasury.’ ‘We are doing everything in our power to try to resolve the problem. To me, it’s not about who was wrong and who should have done what. I have a situation on my hands where people are sitting on Prasa land and they need to move. My duty … is the provision of shelter to the most vulnerable — if there are women and children there, I have a responsibility to provide for them,’ Kubayi said.
‘We were promised a lot of things and these things are irritating. The situations we come from are not the same as the ones you come from. I used to say I hate government processes because they take time, and they are bedevilled by corruption and lies. The project is moving at a snail’s pace. We don’t have toilets. People come here and promise all manner of things to gain publicity and nothing happens.
‘The City of Cape Town never co-operated from the beginning. We will be moved for three months and placed somewhere but we also need a permanent solution.’ As per the signed intergovernmental protocol agreement, Prasa and HDA as its appointed agent, are responsible for the relocation, while the city’s role is limited to that of planning authority and the provision of basic services.