Because of the new ban on public gatherings, a virtual meeting will now be held between the community of Qolweni and the provincial housing authorities for feedback on plans for the development of 169 houses in Qolweni. 

Earlier this month residents of Qolweni, in the Bitou Municipality in the Western Cape, blocked the N2 national road, protesting at the failure to start building the houses in a project that was meant to have begun in March. The protest caused the N2 in Plettenberg Bay to be closed for five days and led to five people being arrested.

After the Western Cape Department of Human Settlements took over the housing project, the protests ended, with a follow-up meeting between the community and MEC Tertuis Simmers scheduled for Tuesday, 29 June.

But on Sunday President Cyril Ramaphosa moved South Africa back to Alert Level 4 coronavirus regulations. He banned all gatherings for the next two weeks, which affected the Qolweni public meeting.

On Monday morning, Simmers’ office confirmed the meeting would now be held virtually. 

“I’m looking forward to providing an update to the Qolweni stakeholders, as we’ve made significant progress… we’ve committed to accelerating this process, as we want to avoid further delays,” said Simmers.

Community leader Thandanani Mdatyulwa said the community had protested in order to speed up the provision of housing, especially after two separate fires which killed three people. GroundUp reported in late May that two people were killed in a fire that destroyed 13 shacks and damaged five more. A few days later another fire destroyed 80 shacks and left one person dead, reported the Knysna-Plett Herald. 

The housing project, costing R33.5-million was approved in October 2019. But it was delayed by the Covid-19 lockdown. Construction was then meant to begin in January, but because of delays with the contractor nothing has happened so far. 

The community was fed up with waiting for housing, said Mdatyulwa. The protest “was the only way” to get the attention of authorities.

Mdatyulwa said there had been other protests because of a lack of housing and services for the community. 

When Daily Maverick visited Qolweni after the N2 protest, Mdatyulwa pointed to several informal dwellings in close proximity to each other. According to the 2011 census, 93.2% of homes in Ward 3 of the Bitou Municipality, which Qolweni falls under, are informal dwellings. Only 5.8% of people in the ward have access to flushing or chemical toilets. A staggering 16.1% of people living in the ward have no access to any kind of toilet facilities. 

During Daily Maverick’s visit, there were no signs of taps and not one person was seen using the open-air standalone toilets. There was no electricity in the community either, Mdatyulwa pointed out. 

“The development of the area is too slow,” said Mdatyulwa, adding that there were no schools or libraries in the area – learners attend schools in the nearby New Horizons or Kwanokuthula suburbs.

There was still evidence of the protest alongside the highway: a signboard was damaged, the highway was scorched where tyres had been burnt, and the smell of fire lingered in the air. The Qolweni community had wanted control of the project taken out of the municipality’s hands and handed over to the Western Cape Department of Human Settlements for implementation. 

Then on Friday, 18 June at a public meeting, acting Mayor Sandiso Gcabayi formally handed a letter to Simmers asking the provincial government to take over the project. 

It was then decided that Simmers would meet with the community on Tuesday, 29 June for a follow-up meeting. 

“We can’t wait another week,” said Mdatyulwa, a few days before another cold front was forecast to set in, bringing cold and wet weather to the Southern Cape. 

The acting head of the Western Cape Department of Human Settlements, Phila Mayisela, said the department was fast-tracking the appointment of a new contractor. “The new timeline for the project is therefore yet to be determined,” said Mayisela. 

She said the department intended to have the appointment of a contractor finalised by the end of June. “Further details of the appointment will be available as soon as the internal processes have been concluded.”

Acting Mayor Gcabayi said, “Both the Bitou Municipality and the provincial Department of Human Settlements are committed to ensure that this project is implemented to the benefit of the people of Qolweni.

“We hope that people are not using the emotions of the people to stir up unnecessary riots to fulfill their own personal and political interests.

“The municipality will continue with its efforts to find a lasting solution to this matter and bring an end to the current situation.” 

Mdatyulwa’s response was, “I’ll be happy when I see that container [with building equipment].” DM