Neruna tenants to fight relocation

RESIDENTS of a government owned housing estate in Plumstead are taking legal action over new leases they have been given, saying they are refusing to sign them without a public participation process.

Beverley Strong, deputy chairwoman of the Neruna Estate Residents Association, said their lawyer would be filing an urgent application with the Western Cape High Court this week to stop the Department of Human Settlements from enforcing the leases which would see unemployed tenants removed within six months.

Some 156 families, many of whom are elderly and disabled, are facing relocation to Pelican Park because they can’t afford their rent.

Strong said leases had been placed in their letterboxes. “Some people got three months and others got three years.”

She said officials had returned to collect the signed leases, but as far as she knew no one had signed.

Strong said they would be having a silent protest tomorrow evening at the Southfield Library Hall to highlight their concerns, which included the failure of Human Settlements MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela to hold a public participation process with them after earlier committing to do so.

“We will be lighting candles with a flame of hope to reaffirm our commitment to finding answers.”

She said they had also had no reply to a memorandum handed over during a public march to the legislature earlier this year.

Madikizela’s spokesman, Zalisile Mbali, said a proper public participation process with the tenants was carried out. The MEC had agreed to a second process being undertaken and a date of April 25 was set . However, a few days before the meeting was to take place, the tenants marched on the legislature.

In May, Madikizela said a threeyear renewable lease contract would be provided to all tenants who had a source of income, and a six-month lease for tenants who were unemployed. The tenants owed R2.3 million.