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R 889.-TUESDAY 6 October 2020 | Tel: 021 910 6500 | Email: post@peoplespost.co.za | Website: www.peoplespost.co.za
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People’s Post
City officials and other guests look out over the land that was once the Luyolo community.
DIDO VALLEY
‘We want to die in dignity’ RACINE EDWARDES RACINE.EDWARDES@MEDIA24.COM @RAEEDWARDES
S
enior citizens forcefully removed from Simon’s Town under the Group Areas Act during apartheid returned to the area on Wednesday 30 September to inspect the land on which their new homes will be built. The visit to Dido Valley was organised by the City of Cape Town for beneficiaries currently residing in Redhill and Gugulethu. Lily George, Winnifred Hendricks and Roselynn Ludick, residents of Redhill, were escorted to the site where they were able to view the progress made on the R170 million project. The development entails the construction of 600 subsidised houses. Looking out over the picturesque valley, Hendricks told People’s Post about her life journey. “I’ve been in Redhill for 13 years now but I was born here in Simon’s Town. Where I am standing now, on this very ground, is the ground where I used to live when I was five years old,” she said, taking in the surround-
ings that took her back happening here and we to her childhood. get excited. Then it gets “We grew up here, I quiet. Then we see more had my children here – work, then we get excitI’ve got two sons, they’re ed again,” Ludick big men now. I got marlaughs. She says it’s a ried here – my whole life dream come true for this was in Simon’s Town! development to be comWe went to school in Siing together. mon’s Town, we had a “I told my husband church there – our that we will never get whole life!” these houses – ‘I’m going Hendricks explained to die before we get these that she was forced to re- Winnifred Hendricks will soon receive a houses,’ I told him. I live locate to Ocean View un- home in Dido Valley, Simon’s in a wooden house in der the Group Areas Act Town. PHOTOS: RACINE EDWARDES Redhill and we want to and later decided to die in dignity; in the big make the move to live in Redhill. All the houses we were brought up in.” while, she was waiting on a house which she The Luyolo land claimants were also reapplied for almost two decades ago. moved from Simon’s Town to Gugulethu. “I’m very excited knowing that I’m comDressed in traditional attire, they too ing to live on the very same place where my looked out over the sprawling lands that whole life was,” she said. they will soon call home. Ludick, who was born in Constantia, Malusi Booi, Mayco member for human moved around constantly her entire life. She settlements, attended the event along with said she too only settled in Redhill about 13 Beverley van Reenen, the City’s portfolio years ago. committee chair for human settlements; Si“We’re so excited because we see things mon Liell-Cock, the councillor for ward 61;
and Patricia Francke, subcouncil chair. Booi says the project will not only empower beneficiaries as first-time homeowners, but it will also bring together a community that was severed by the apartheid policies. “This is a tangible example of redress and restitution in action and of our commitment to building a better future for those who bore the brunt of the apartheid policies. This project also enables and unlocks affordable housing in this area and it is well located in respect to public transport and amenities,” said Booi. According to Booi, plot sizes range from 70m² to about 150m² and will all be on prime land. Liell-Cock mentioned numerous instances where beneficiaries sold their land – “their heritage” – to contractors who later went on to build malls and shopping centres. Booi warned: “What is going to happen is some people are going to come to you, knock on your door at night and offer you money – this land is worth millions. When they come and offer you R500 000, don’t do it.” Booi indicated that he and the contractors are hoping to reduce the development period from the initial three years to just two.
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