Cape Town’s relocated railway occupiers protest over water

Families that were relocated from Cape Town’s central railway line to Philippi East blocked the R300 for several hours on Monday afternoon over water.

People who were relocated from Cape Town’s central railway line reserve to PRASA land at Stock Road, Philippi East, blocked the R300 for several hours on Monday afternoon to demand water.

More than 100 protesters from what is now called Loyiso Nkohla Mabandla village used bags full of rubbish and bricks to block the road.

Carrying a placard reading, “We need water as a matter of urgency”, Thulani Mnqweno told GroundUp, “We are in the middle of nowhere … not even a single water tap.”

Prudence Malinga said blocking the R300 highway was a last resort.

“The language that the government knows is protest, and a violent protest,” said Malinga.

The 900 families were relocated as part of Operation Bhekela, a joint venture between PRASA, the City, the Housing Development Agency (HDA), and the provincial and national governments to restore Metrorail services.

When the families arrived on the site in December, there was no water or sanitation infrastructure. To date no standpipes have been installed.

In March residents complained bitterly about the lack of water to Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts when it conducted an oversight visit.

The City has since said it has been delivering water several times a day with a 7,000-litre tanker on the three days a week it delivers.

But community leader Zanele Ngcobondwana said on Monday, no water has been delivered for over a week. They have been buying water or relying on the good will of residents in Acacia and Heinz Park or going to other informal settlements that do have communal taps.

The City previously stated it had not installed bulk service infrastructure because the land was not zoned for residential purposes. For not rezoning the land prior to families moving there, the City has fined PRASA R25,000.

The South African Police Service had not responded to questions at the time of publishing.

The City of Cape Town asked for an extension to reply. The response will be added when received.

The late Loyiso Nkohla Mabandla, after whom the community has named the settlement, was a former ANC councillor and activist involved in the negotiations between government and the communities that occupied railway tracks in Nyanga and Philippi. He was gunned down last year while he was at a meeting to discuss the relocation.

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