At an emergency meeting convened on Thursday, a neighborhood leader reports that the municipality pledged to expand basic services and begin garbage collection.
Thursday morning, some 250 residents of the Rolihlahla informal settlement in Gqeberha barricaded the Old Uitenhage Road with burning tires, boulders, and storm water pipes. They demanded residences.
Monday, residents of Rolihlahla and Westville informal settlements demonstrated, claiming that their bucket toilets had not been cleaned for weeks. During that protest, two vehicles were burned.
Rolihlahla people who dwell in Vistarus and near the R75 Uitenhage Road led the protest on Thursday.
Additionally, the final decision on fishing rights will be made in October.
Rolihlahla was founded in 1999 behind the Missionvale Campus of Nelson Mandela University by backyard residents from Missionvale, Zwide, Veeplaas, KwaZakhele, and New Brighton.
About 280 RDP houses were constructed in 2004 for shack residents who had occupied ground adjacent to Missionvale Cemetery, but there has been no housing development since then, according to community leader Linda Twelani.
This neighborhood is over 20 years old and lacks services. “Since then, 581 households have been waiting for service delivery,” he stated.
During the Covid epidemic, there was talk of “de-densifying” and 150 bungalows were constructed in an open field near the Uitenhage Road; 75 of them were designated for Rohlihlahla households.
“The 150 residents of the bungalows, including families with disabled members, share five toilets and one standpipe.” They lack power, and their dwelling is dirty on rainy days,’ Twelani explained.
The 581 houses in Rolihlahla share 80 toilets, of which 30 have not been cleaned since the service provider’s contract expired.
The construction of a paved road and the relocation of shacks to serviced sites began in April 2022, but “suddenly ceased in July without explanation,” according to Twelani.
“We do not sleep on pavement. We require homes. Dolly Ntonga, 68, who has resided in the region since 1999, stated, “I am getting older, but I still reside in a leaky shack.” “A flush toilet is included in an RDP house, which would grant me dignity.”
Ntombizanele Gosani, who constructed her cottage in 2008, stated, “I have four pit latrine holes in my yard because I dig a new one every time the old one fills up. However, I am currently out of space. We desire housing because we cannot continue living in this manner forever. We do not collect garbage and instead burn it near the university’s perimeter wall.”
Twelani reports that, following Thursday’s protests, a group of community leaders met with Ryno Kayser, a member of the mayoral committee, and Thembakazi Hlela, the director of human settlements.
According to him, they were informed there is no housing plan for them, but they will receive additional toilets and standpipes, power, and for the first time in Rolihlahla, garbage collection.
“They also promise to resume the repositioning of our shacks and the completion of the paved road,” he stated.
However, municipal spokesperson Mamela Ndamase was ignorant of the gathering. However, she stated, “Development processes are underway, and houses will be constructed after their conclusion.” Infrastructure must be constructed first, which is what the municipality is now doing.”
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