We all know about ANC Government’s empty promises, namely: “Rapid Land Release. Another of the promises is housing for the first indigenous nation ‘coloureds’ – I prefer to be called Khoisan -. What is more especially disappointing is that when Mass Action is taken and, it was taken early in May 2017, demanding the long-awaited RDP houses up until present.
It is March 2020 already, 02 March, yet nothing has materialized, not even ONE house to accommodate at least ONE family only, so that we can have an inkling of hope. We have at present, in Eldorado Park a body named The Greater Eldorado Park Housing Task Team which has taken on the responsibility of fighting for housing. The GEPHTT was established to address:
· Housing needs and the development of our Eldorado Park community;
· To speak with one voice to Government;
· To stand in unity and solidarity when legal actions and protests are taken.
· Marginalization is the common issue that has brought The Greater Eldorado Park Housing Task Team together.
A living Document and minutes from the very first meeting, with the Premier, are available, and such is the contempt for all first indigenous Townships that this document is completely disregarded by the ANC Government.
However, the Human Rights Commission has also found and confirmed the utter neglect and marginalization of the first indigenous communities, who are completely deprived of necessary amenities such as:
· Housing
· Sports facilities: As an example the only supposed Stadium, which has been in existence for 40 years or more, has been left to deteriorate to such an extent that schools, both primary and high schools, can no longer feature the schools’ inter-school athletic competitions. Al Soccer, Rugby and, even Hockey practices and competition matches cannot be played. The Tennis Courts are practically non-existent; have fallen apart/away.
We all ought to recall the second uprising when protests exploded in Eldorado Park over a space of three days, 9, 10 and 11 May 2017; then, how did the ANC Government respond? Of course, they reacted in the usual Colonialist manner of deploying armed Police, who failed in their attempt to stop the flagrant uprising. So, they sent in a section of the useless Army, and, guess what? Both the Police and the Army were forcefully pushed out of Eldorado Park, right up to the Main Road entrance, into the Golden High. It was an immense victory for the protestors. Thinking about it, it was quite hilarious, in fact, ludicrous, since the determined protestors, joined by Freedom Park Residents, were unarmed, unless sticks and stones were regarded as weapons to defeat the armed Police and the Army.
The pay-off was it got the ANC government’s attention, but as usual, the Government’s trick response and devious pacification tactics was to send officials to Eldorado Park to register people on the Housing Database. It is estimated that more than 20 000 registered over a week-long period. Yet it’s March 2020, three years later, and still nothing has materialized, not a house in sight. Nothing will happen even though many residents are going around with the notion that if we all vote ANC POSITIVE THINGS WILL HAPPEN, CHANGE WILL ENSUE, HOUSES WILL BE BUILT.
Well here’s a revelation for everyone! We were an ANC ward over a space of two terms, when the ANC became the new ruling dispensation from 1994 to date. Ask yourself are there any newly - built house, as promised by the ANC government, of course not. Did we get any jobs? No, not even! If memory serves me well we were aligned with the ANC, before their reign, during the struggle. Our forefathers tenaciously fought alongside the ANC freedom-fighters, protected them from the Apartheid authorities, fed them, hid them especially in places like: Sophiatown and Kliptown, where the Freedom Charter was formulated and signed. When a person googles, Wikipedia misquotes that is a suburb of the formerly black township of Soweto. It, further states that Kliptown is the oldest residential district of Soweto. This clearly is not true, because many first indigenous nation families, now settled and established in Eldorado Park originally came from Kliptown where many ANC activists sought asylum.
To this day, the ANC government doesn’t acknowledge or recognize so-called coloured people, nor are they the least bit concerned about or empathetic to our plight of lack of housing and unemployment. Anyone can witness and agree that he/she suspects the ANC government of wanting to continually oppress, subjugate and even obliterate the first indigenous nation, of South Africa, to becoming just a footnote in the annals of History.
To begin with, this Blog is entitled: We are not Land Invaders and, for a fact, we are not! Rather we are the rightful, legal landowners of Community representatives merely, rightfully, staked a land claim, that being Southern Farms, which has been promised to the Eldorado Park Community. are being supported by the GHCC Alliance partners, namely: Lenasia, Alexandra Township, Riverlea, Noordgesig, Orlando East and West, Pimville and Freedom Park.
The GHCC Alliance was slapped with a court Interdict, by Human Settlements, to appear in High They Court on 26 November 2019. The GHCC Alliance appeared at the Court hearing 26 November and were formally served with the Court Interdict barring them from claiming Southern Farms. The Alliance reckons that it’s a tactic to delay and draw out the matter long enough so that the Alliance communities give up instead of standing their ground and, tenaciously pursuing the issue of getting the allocated promised land, because it is.
The reasons for the Interdict were to depict the Eldorado Park Community as being:
(a) A threat to invade Southern Farms;
(b) It was dubbed as illegal land invasion;
(c) To stall development;
(d) To cover and protect tender entrepreneurs;
(e) A delay tactic to deliver on a promise;
(f) To divide and so-called coloured communities, a ploy similar on the black - on – black violence to marginalize, side line and oppress said communities.
So, the current the Greater Eldorado Park Task Team has learnt not to make empty promises but, rather work towards delivering housing for the community, unlike the ANC government which has not, for the past 26 years, fulfilled any of its promises, such as Rapid Land Release or even allocating completed housing. The recent actions, by government officials, is as a result of practically begging for handouts… more like dangling the carrot.
We, the first indigenous nation would appreciate being fairly treated as first class citizens, not as illegal land invaders, but dignified human beings, citizens who deserve to receive housing and land promised by government. Human Settlements need to be taken to task, like being taken to court, just as they have stalled development with the delay tactic of issuing a court Interdict to delay delivery on a promise. Both the GHCC Alliance and the GEPTT have no intention of giving up but will in unity and solidarity lay claim to our rightful land ownership. One outcome of being persevering is that the imposed Interdict was withdrawn at a High Court hearing on 9 February 2020.
Writer: Annette Dippenaar
Editor: Roberta Dippenaar
Photographer: Katherine Muick
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