Hundreds of families who for years endured leaking shacks were finally moved into their newly built RDP houses at Rainbow Chicken Farm near Mdantsane – but barely two weeks later, they are burning tyres in the streets in disappointment.
Since last week Monday, the families from Duncan Village’s C-section and Reeston have been moving into their new homes which overlook the Buffalo River.
They are beneficiaries of a multimillion-rand housing project launched by Buffalo City Metro mayor Alfred Mtsi last month.
Now the residents are in the middle of a bitter fight between rival East London taxi associations. The residents demand to be transported by the East London Taxi Association (Elta), which was servicing them in Duncan Village.
But taxi operators affiliated to Uncedo Taxi Association, Mdantsane East London Taxi Association (Meta) and Mdantsane, East London District Taxi Association (Melta) forming the East London Taxi Forum, said Chicken Farm was their route.
Resident Thembakazi Mzamo said they were “man-handled” by taxi drivers last week.
“We don’t want them here because they refuse to drop us off in our streets. When we use their taxis, they dump us at the entrance of this place and we have to walk long kilometres to get home,” Mzamo complained.
“We don’t have this problem with Elta members – we have an understanding with them. Even during the day they have taxis ferrying us in and out of this place.”
Transport head for Uncedo taxi association Xolani Ndzendze said violence broke out in the area leading to a number of taxi drivers being assaulted. The police and ward councillor Ncumisa Mekane’s intervention saw a meeting held at the Mdantsane police station on Thursday.
“It was reported to me that taxi drivers were fighting and I managed to organise the meeting last week and this week there have been no reported incidents,” Mekane said.
Residents are also fighting over who had the right to open spaza shops in the area and have complained of not having electricity in their new homes.
Mekane said she did not know when electricity would be installed in the area.
With regards to the spaza shops, she said they hoped to set up a formal process to appoint spaza shop owners. —mamelag@dispatch.co.za
Taxing times with transport for recipients of RDP homes
Since last week Monday, the families from Duncan Village’s C-section and Reeston have been moving into their new homes which overlook the Buffalo River.
They are beneficiaries of a multimillion-rand housing project launched by Buffalo City Metro mayor Alfred Mtsi last month.
Now the residents are in the middle of a bitter fight between rival East London taxi associations. The residents demand to be transported by the East London Taxi Association (Elta), which was servicing them in Duncan Village.
But taxi operators affiliated to Uncedo Taxi Association, Mdantsane East London Taxi Association (Meta) and Mdantsane, East London District Taxi Association (Melta) forming the East London Taxi Forum, said Chicken Farm was their route.
Resident Thembakazi Mzamo said they were “man-handled” by taxi drivers last week.
“We don’t want them here because they refuse to drop us off in our streets. When we use their taxis, they dump us at the entrance of this place and we have to walk long kilometres to get home,” Mzamo complained.
“We don’t have this problem with Elta members – we have an understanding with them. Even during the day they have taxis ferrying us in and out of this place.”
Transport head for Uncedo taxi association Xolani Ndzendze said violence broke out in the area leading to a number of taxi drivers being assaulted. The police and ward councillor Ncumisa Mekane’s intervention saw a meeting held at the Mdantsane police station on Thursday.
“It was reported to me that taxi drivers were fighting and I managed to organise the meeting last week and this week there have been no reported incidents,” Mekane said.
Residents are also fighting over who had the right to open spaza shops in the area and have complained of not having electricity in their new homes.
Mekane said she did not know when electricity would be installed in the area.
With regards to the spaza shops, she said they hoped to set up a formal process to appoint spaza shop owners. —mamelag@dispatch.co.za
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