- The decades-long battle for formal housing for close to 1 000 residents from the Vygieskraal Informal Settlement continues.
- The City of Cape Town recently declared no feasible land in the Ward 46 area to assist in the relocation of these residents to formal housing.
- Residents are calling for action.
For close to 1 000 residents living in the Vygieskraal informal settlement, they are no closer to formal housing as their decades-long battle continues.
With City of Cape Town officials recently declaring no feasible land in the Ward 46 area to assist in the relocation of these residents to formal housing, constant flooding, less-than-ideal living conditions and the recent surge in gang violence has left residents frustrated at the lack of action.
The last time anyone was moved from this plot of land was in 2021 when 40 households received homes at the Forest Village housing project in Eerste River around 25km away.
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People’s Post has been reliably informed that some of these residents have since returned to Vygieskraal, citing better opportunities.
When asked if and when more residents would be relocated, the city did not comment.
Established 33 years ago, the City estimates 167 units, housing 835 people, while community leaders in the area say this is inaccurate, estimating over 200 shelters.
Flooding, cold, sick
Lisa Enula, who has been living in various informal settlements for more than 20 years, has been at Vygieskraal for the past seven years.
“I have been on the housing waiting list since I was 21 years old. We have had people come and check here and see we are on the waiting list then tell us it would be two or three more years and we would get a house, but we are still waiting,” she says.
Flooding, cold conditions and children getting sick are major concerns for her.
“The situation of the informal settlement where you are raising kids. You feel like it’s not safe.
“And the other thing is flooding. The flooding and the leakages when it’s raining. There is no plant life outside, actually. So this is not the place that you can say you are raising kids,” she says.
Truancy and multi-generational families in one shelter have become a growing concern outside the gang allure, she continues, with teenage pregnancy also increasing.
Another resident Gamza Colby says the sale of the home they were staying in in Belgravia forced his family to relocate to Vygieskraal around 20 years ago.
“When we came to stay here, there were very few structures. It has grown over the years. There have been promises made, but nothing has happened,” he says.
Colby continues that many have been on the City’s housing waiting list for over 20 years and hopes to see that at least some of the older residents get homes.
Another resident, who spoke to People’s Post on condition of anonymity, says people are literally dying waiting for their homes, with one mother receiving notice of her home after passing away.
Mayco member for human settlements Carl Pophaim says the City is providing water, toilets and electricity supply to the settlement.
However, with several units not having electrification, risks of fire as a result of candles and open-flame cooking pose a considerable risk, residents say.
“The City is supplying electricity to the majority of the informal area. The area without electricity is on recently occupied land,” says Pophaim.
But this is contrary to residents’ testimony.
Mischka Chachu, chair of the Ubuntu Vygieskraal Community Leaders – an elected body of community leaders representing the interests of this community, says the number of dwellings without electricity has been there for several years.
No new structures
Following a new numbering and data collection project in the area in November, where shelters had been renumbered with “VK” numbers, she confirms no new structures have been built.
“We were told that it will be negative if there are more people moving in here because if they have some housing opportunities for maybe 200 and then we are 300, then there is a problem, so we have kept the numbers low,” she says.
While some residents who spoke to People’s Post were concerned about the lack of interest from officials in their needs and conditions, they confirmed that Pophaim and other officials have visited the settlement.
Chachu also confirms the leadership is in daily contact with Ward 46 councillor Aslam Cassiem regarding the housing and other concerns for Vygieskraal.
Cassiem says much of this is outside of his control, with him only playing oversight roles in housing.
He confirms that matters brought to his attention are first on the agenda in receiving attention at every Subcouncil 14 meeting. This has been confirmed through Subcouncil documents seen by People’s Post.
Matters including housing, flooding, fires, relief and documentation are matters discussed and raised by Cassiem.
“There is no land available for housing in the ward, but there are two housing projects happening in neighbouring wards. I have put in a request that a percentage of these projects be allocated to Vygieskraal, but this is a request. I have raised this in a public meeting, and the residents of this area are not in favour of having Vygieskraal residents relocated to their area,” he says.
Pophaim says the City continues with its infill planned services and upgrades for the area. “Beneficiaries of City housing projects are selected in accordance with the City’s Housing Allocation Policy and Housing Needs Register to ensure housing opportunities are made available in a fair and transparent manner that prevents queue jumping and to those who qualify for housing as per the South African legislation,” he says.
Located on the banks of the canal, the property is waterlogged. With rising moisture worsened by the rains, the residents are suffering constant damage and flooding.
“At one point we would be waist-deep in water,” says Colby.
This is one reason re-blocking and engineering upgrades are not feasible for the area.
“Further upgrading to the service platforms and access roads to assist with, and prevent flooding needs to take place. However, a relocation of the notified residents was required to carry out this work.
“At this stage, the affected residents have not agreed to relocate for the work to be completed,” says Pophaim.
Chachu confirms they are aware of this, but asks: “Where must we go?”
A group of residents, who spoke to People’s Post on condition of anonymity, say they are tired and frustrated with empty promises.
Chronic illnesses, constant cold conditions, leaking roofs and no electrification have caused her condition to worsen. Another resident says the surge in gang violence and drug sales has her fearing for her children.
“I keep them inside. They are like caged animals. They go to school and then come home. They can’t play outside. This isn’t a way to raise children,” she says.
“They shoot here at any time and our shelters don’t stop the bullets,” says another resident.
Stray bullets
Colby says lying in his bed one night, a stray bullet went right over the top of his head. On a walk-through of the area, bullet holes in structures are visible.
“We can already see the children are playing with sticks, and pretending like they’re shooting because this is what they see. We want a life that is better and clean for them. They have no other motivations because there are no activities, nothing for them here. Just school and home,” says a resident.
Robin Nkume, deputy chair of Ubuntu, says fixing flood lights is urgent, as residents are falling prey to criminals on their way to work. For him, along with adhoc member Arthur Claasen, they do all they can by volunteering in and around the settlement to help improve the conditions where they can.
Chachu says there is a lot of segregation in the area. “If we can just work together, we are fighting for the same thing. Housing. Housing. Housing for our people,” she says.
