SACP Gauteng congratulates Minister Lechesa Tsenoli for his decisive intervention in Leeufontein, City of Tshwane
12 April 2014
The SACP Gauteng Province congratulates comrade Lechesa Tsenoli, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs for his decisive, prompt and swift intervention in Leeufontein informal settlement in the City of Tshwane.
The Minister deployed a team of government officials led by the Director General, Mr Vusi Madonsela. The team included officials of Gauteng Department of Housing and Local Government and the City of Tshwane.
The Minister`s team held a community mass meeting with the residents of Leeufontein this morning to resolve problems that affected the community for the last 7 years. The area of Leeufontein is subdivided into three plots, namely, 123, 124 and 124.
Corrupt sale of land by Councillors and City officials
Residents alleged that they bought stands and built houses, some of them mansions and double storey houses on land sold by councillors and officials of the City of Tshwane.
Residents alleged that the problem is that the houses are built on private agricultural land that is currently not proclaimed as a residential area by the City of Tshwane.
Residents further allege that as a result of corrupt sale of stands without following proper procedures to proclaim land as a residential area, they have not been receiving services from government for the last 7 years.
Agreement signed between the community and government
Following the Minister`s decisive intervention, an agreement has been signed between government and the community, represented by its leaders. The agreement include an independent forensic investigation by government with the direct participation by the community on land sale and corrupt practices.
Government will provide services such as water, roads grading, and temporary electricity solution whilst problems of land ownership and title deeds is receiving attention based on the outcomes of the investigation.
The Minister`s intervention and the signing of the agreement follows the SACP`s intervention after the community marched to the President`s offices at the union Buildings. The SACP is pleased that swift and successful intervention by the Minister set out a clear process to resolve the issues contained in the memorandum.
The community had earlier before the intervention threatened not to allow the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to function in the area during the 07th May 2014 national and provincial elections.
The SACP is satisfied that the signing of the agreement has laid a good, solid and better foundation for improved community life and for IEC to function in the area.
Reaffirming revolutionary community struggles
The intervention by Minister Lechesa Tsenoli reaffirms the view expressed by the SACP and President Jacob Zuma that revolutionary community struggles are distinct from opportunistic so-called “service delivery protests” and that the protests are in essence not about lack of confidence in the ANC led government.
On the contrary, such struggles reflect the historic expectations by communities that the ANC government is their only source of hope for improved service delivery.
The intervention clearly proves that the ANC government`s track record and performance to liberate Black people and Africans in particular and progress attained thus far in creating a better live for all, creates a legitimate expectation by communities that their problems can indeed be resolved by the ANC led government.
The SACP is further pleased that the intervention proves beyond doubt that cooperation between spheres of government and working closely with the ANC-led Alliance, provides the best solution to move our people and country forward.
This is in contrast to parallel and competing interventions between spheres of government and the ANC led Alliance political processes.
The SACP is deeply pleased that the model of intervention put in place by Minister Tsenoli is best practice for the rest of ANC led government and Alliance as a whole. We hope this model of intervention and prompt action by government will be appreciated by various social and political actors in our country as we move forward to a decisive ANC election victory on May 7th.
Issued on behalf of the SACP Gauteng Province
Contact:
Mamabolo Jacob: Provincial Secretary: 082 884 1868
Lucian Segami: Provincial Spokesperson: 079 522 0098
