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THURSDAY 14 November 2013 | 0021 910 6500 | Fax: 021 910 6501/06 | Email: post@peoplespost.co.za | Website: www.peoplespost.co.za | Mobisite: ppost.mobi
PHUMLANI VILLAGE: NEWLY ELECTED SETTLEMENT COMMITTEE CLASHES WITH COUNCILLOR
Power struggle rages on NADINE MOODIE @NadineMoodie1
P
humlani Village residents are up in arms about a leadership dispute in the community. This comes after residents allegedly elected a new committee, comprising 15 residents, to represent the needs of the community on Tuesday 29 October. But there are claims of the old committee still being in office. Riemvasmaak Informal Settlement Committee deputy chairperson of the new committee Eric Balebanye says ward councillor Shaun August knows a new committee was elected, but alleges he still continues communicating with the old committee. “The old committee refused to handover documents and power on the day after the election; there was no handover meeting,” Balebanye says. “I am on a mission to fight for the community needs, not politics. We’re still waiting on the report of the toilets which were erected in the informal settlement.” New committee chairperson Sidwell Kweba says he has approached August and informed him about the new committee, but he refuses to acknowledge the structure. “Even though toilet structures are up, there’s nothing inside. The toilet project has not been completed, pipes have burst and toilets are not working,” Kweba says. He also alleges street lights will be erected in Riemvasmaak, but says the new committee does not know anything about it. Balebanye says he wants August to respect democracy, stop communicating with the previous chairperson and start looking at the needs of the community. Resident Fundele Phato says the ward councillor just makes promises, which don’t produce any answers. “The previous committee caused
DISPUTE: A power struggle between two committees in Riemvasmaak Informal Settlement, Phumlani Village, has caused some confusion with locals. PHOTO: ASTRID FEBRUARIE
more damage. We have house numbers, but when we get home sometimes, our structures are broken down,” Phato says. “In some cases people have been burnt or robbed in their homes. Lights, hygiene and not being able to extend our structures are real problems.” Another resident, Xolela Lengisi, says service delivery is concern. “I see they’re busy with toilets,
but my main concern is electricity. At the moment I’m getting electricity from another shack,” Lengisi sats. Riemvasmaak resident Theresa Bruintjies says people are constantly getting robbed in the community, because they are forced to live and walk in darkness. “We haven’t had any street lights for a year now,” she fumes. “Crime has increased and people
are getting robbed all the time. I have a small child and don’t know what to do.” Chairperson of the old committee Leticia Roman claims the new committee was not elected by the entire community. “I will not comment on this issue, because it needs to be sorted out in the community,” Roman says. Ward councillor Shaun August
says he was not present at the said election and he has never met with the new committee. “I am ward councillor for 10 other informal settlements. I usually go to public meetings to observe; thereafter I work with the elected committee,” he says. “Was this election held at a public meeting? I will hear the new committee out and then we’ll take it from there.”
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