SACP Gauteng PEC Press Statement
15 April 2013
SACP Gauteng strongly condemns yet another postponement of meeting to resolve Lenasia Housing Demolition Crisis and calls for an urgent meeting of the parties
SACP Gauteng strongly condemns yet another unjustifiable postponement of the meeting of the task team established to resolve the crisis of the demolition of houses that took place late last year in Lenasia, south of Johannesburg. It is regrettable that a meeting that was scheduled to take place on the 11th April 2013 following an urgent request by the residents has been postponed yet again to the 13th May 2013.
We firmly believe that the postponement of this meeting is unacceptable and perpetuates the violation of the human rights of the working class and poor of Lenasia.
We also believe that the continued but unjustifiable postponement of the meeting undermines the values and principles of our countrys developmental state that is caring and sensitive to the needs of the overwhelming majority, especially the poor and working class.
SACP calls on the parties, especially the conveners of the meeting, to convene an urgent meeting to ensure a speedy resolution of this matter. We believe that continued delays of this matter is a direct result of the composition of the task team that is filled with people that do not have the immediate interest of the working class of Lenasia at heart.
We refer to the fact that the task team include people that were part of the demolition of houses, and the so-called legal residents and many other people that have other pressing matters to attend to.
We wish to reaffirm our call made last week that a Special Office that focuses on each individual case based on its merits, functioning on a daily basis and situated in Lenasia be created to ensure that this matter receives the attention it deserves. We also believe that the task team should be re-constituted to include only those people that will have the time to attend to this matter on an urgent basis and not make it a secondary site issue.
SACP support the decision of the Lenasia Concerned Residents Committee to stage on urgent basis a protest march against further delays on this matter. The protest march will take place on Friday, 03rd May 2013. We will mobilise our structures in the province to support the protest march by the residents of Lenasia.
We also call on the SA Human Rights Commission to investigate the reasons and causes that saw the last meeting of the task team held on the 18th January 2013. We share the concerns of the residents that there is no guarantee that the meeting will sit on the 13th May 2013, and that even if it takes place progress will be made.
Issued on behalf of the SACP Gauteng Province
Contact:
Mamabolo Jacob, Provincial Secretary, 082 884 1868
SACP Spokesperson: Lucian Segami: 079 522 0098
