SACP Gauteng PEC statement on Elias Motswaledi informal settlement
25 April 2013
Gauteng Province`s intervention to restore calm at Elias Motswaledi informal settlement
SACP Gauteng Province held a successful meeting last night, the 24th of April 2013, at the University of Johannesburg, Soweto campus with community leaders of various political organisations at Elias Motsoaledi informal settlement.
In attendance were leaders of local structures from the SACP, ANC, ANC YL and WL, Veterans League and YCL.
SACP received a report from community leaders about the political situation in Elias Motswaledi and pledged its solidarity and sympathy with the working class and poor of this community about the shocking and devastating poor state of service delivery in the area.
The shocking state of service delivery is a condition that the people of Elias Motswaledi have been subjected to for the last 19 years of their stay in the informal settlement. In this regard, the SACP fully support the demands of this working class community for a decent living and better quality of life. This includes, (but is not limited) to better housing, road infrastructure, better sewerage system, regular and consistent refuse removal.
SACP firmly believes the demands of the people are legitimate and consistent with the programme and electoral mandate of the African National Congress led Alliance. We therefore call on the authorities, especially the provincial and local government to attend to these demands as a matter of urgency.
SACP received disturbing reports about opportunistic forces that sought to manipulate and hijack this legitimate struggle to pursue criminal activities such as looting, burning of property, digging of trenches on poor infrastructure and attacks against members of this working class community.
SACP calls on law enforcement agencies to act decisively and arrest those responsible for this unacceptable and anarchic behaviour. We were deeply disturbed to hear allegations of people from outside Elias Motsoaledi being transported at night to commit these acts. This allegation is based on the fact that activities relating to criminal activity are conducted only at night but disguised as mass action and protest by residents.
SACP was deeply inspired and encouraged by the commitment of the people and leaders of Elias Motsoaledi to take a firm stand against hooliganism and criminal activity, firstly by closing the trenches that were dug during the so-called service delivery protest, and secondly to restore order in the area, including working with police to root-out criminal elements.
SACP will work with its Alliance partners at a provincial level to ensure that the demands of the people are addressed and further that criminal elements that are terrorising and victimising the working class through intimidation and violent behaviour are brought to book and held accountable. SACP will work with community leaders to ensure that the community mass meeting scheduled for the 05th May 2013 at 10h00 takes place without any incident and is successful.
Issued on behalf of the SACP Gauteng Province
Contact:
Mamabolo Jacob, Provincial Secretary, 082 884 1868
SACP Spokesperson: Lucian Segami: 079 522 0098
