With a proposal to relocate residents across the road from his ward, a war of words has erupted between councillor Bulelani Matenjwa and Nelson Mandela Bay’s human settlements political head, Thembinkosi Mafana.
The municipality wants to move Nomakanjani informal settlement residents from a flood-prone area of Ward 53 to an open field in Ward 58, just across the road from Matenjwa’s Ward 59 — a formal housing area.
But Matenjwa is having none of it.
The dispute stems from a December 12 council resolution that the city makes land available for emergency housing for informal communities often affected by flooding.
The municipality identified 50 land parcels meant for township development according to the spatial planning and land use management (Spluma) bylaw.
Nzunga Street separates Ward 59 and Ward 58.
Matenjwa has publicly rejected the decision in a fiery letter addressed to the residents of his ward.
He believes this would cause instability and put a strain on municipal resources.
“I am bringing to your attention a serious matter regarding the proposed relocation of Nomakanjani from Ward 53 to an area in Ward 58, which is directly adjacent to our community in NU5 and NU6, separated only by Nzunga Street,” he wrote.
“This means that the relocation of an informal settlement so close to our ward will have a direct and immediate impact on our infrastructure, services and overall stability.
“This move by the municipality and the arrogance of the political head for human settlements on this matter will not be accepted.
“As your councillor, I want to make it clear that I will fight against this decision.
“The ANC’s position on integrated human settlements has never supported the relocation of informal settlements next to bonded houses.”
Matenjwa said integration meant low-cost social and bonded housing assisted by the government as they ensured proper planning, service delivery and development.
According to Section 62(3) of Spluma bylaw, council may approve the development of land for emergency housing provided that the provision and installation of basic services can be provided.
Mafana, however, is not backing down and said he was being called names on social media by an ANC councillor for simply implementing a council resolution that Matenjwa did not object to.
“The matter has gone through all the processes.
“It was first tabled at our standing committee in October, moved to the mayoral committee and later adopted by the council on December 12.
“We identified emergency sites for all the areas that normally flood when there is heavy rains and the council issued a directive to our department to relocate all the affected areas to the identified sites.”
Mafana said the relocation process required them to conduct consultative meetings with the affected councillors and committees and hold public meetings.
“We have consulted with Ward 58 councillor Mendiswa Makunga and she has no problem.
“Matenjwa is fighting the type of people who are moving into that area, it is a classism issue.
“He is saying that people from shacks can’t live close to people in formal houses. That land is not in his ward,” Mafana said.
A Motherwell councillor, who did not want to be named, said Matenjwa thought he was better than other councillors because there were no shacks in his ward.
“How can you not want community members who are not even in your ward, and yet expect them to vote for you but claim they will cause instability and strain municipal infrastructure,” he said.
“With that letter, he is pitting community members against each other and that’s not how a leader is supposed to behave.
“My ward has many informal settlements and if I said I didn’t want those people, where would they go because the city is already battling with the occupancy of land that’s not fit for the construction of houses.
“I wish comrades would be sensitive when they handle such matters and deal with them internally rather than using social media to gain support.”
On Wednesday, Matenjwa said municipal processes indicated that when you moved people from a flood line to another area not serviced, there needed to be a plan.
However, he said this was not the case.
“Addo Road has been declared a no-go zone due to the number of protests that have occurred at the hands of Nomakanjani residents.
“Now you want to take those people and bring them to an unserved area where they will fight for services,” Matenjwa said.
“This will bring instability and will affect the people of my ward who spent their lives building their homes and creating comfortable lives for their families.
“There is no water, electricity and sanitation for those people and looking at the pressure to move them in six months, these services won’t be ready.
“The city is battling to service other settlement areas that have been there for years.”
Matenjwa said proper processes were not followed for the relocation but it was already announced to Nomakanjani residents.
Makunga declined to comment and referred questions to Mafana.
The Herald
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