KNYSNA NEWS - Housing projects are always a hot topic in Knysna, with many communities still crying out for residential assistance. But, in Hlalani where an RDP project is still incomplete, the tumultuous relationship with housing barrels on as skeletons of forlorn duplexes lie barren and a woman is still waiting for her house.
Any Knysna resident that has called the town home longer than a year is well aware of the protests that plague the town's main road, the N2, but most are unaware of the reasons behind these protests that almost routinely result in the blocking of this main artery with burning tyres and other debris.
Many of these protests come out of desperation as communities demand for services to be granted, housing projects to be the green light or, in Hlalani's case, for a house to be completed.
First phase
The first construction phase of the current Hlalani RDP project started in 2016, with 38 single-unit houses and 12 semi-detached units (duplexes) initially set to be built. Due to subsequent complications with contractors and residents, the 36 single units were eventually completed by January 2019, and by May 2019 the outer "shells" of the duplexes had been built – but have remained in the same, incomplete state ever since.
The initial almost three-year delay on the completion of the single units saw residents take their voices to the streets to be heard in the form of protests, and once the delays began on the duplexes their protests continued.
While their latest protest on Friday 19 June may not have been as extensive as their previous attempt in early March at making their voices heard, when they caused a total shutdown of the N2 in the Nekkies region that lasted hours, these residents still managed to cause disruption by blocking off the Hornlee/Noetzie Road as well as one of the access roads into Hlalani itself.
Last week residents blocked streets in Hlalani by burning tyres and other debris. Photos: Blake Linder
This time it was in an effort to resolve the issue with the duplexes, and to support one woman, Cynthia Dilanga, who is being denied her RDP house due to another family's garden and fence extending onto the land needed to complete the housing project, thereby preventing the project from going ahead.
When it comes to the duplexes, the residents are not happy that they still lie barren. "It's ridiculous, they've just been standing here and some people are even using them as dumps because they just seem to be abandoned," said community representative Anele Vani.
Knysna Municipality communications officer Dibandlela Nkume was unable to clarify why the duplexes remain incomplete at the time of going to print.
Cynthia Dilanga in front of the house that is preventing her RDP house from being built. Photo: Blake Linder
Waiting since 2016
In Dilanga's case, construction was due to begin on her single-unit RDP house in 2016 as with the rest, but because of the intrusion by another resident's fence, the foundations for her house cannot be laid. "They [the family] are blatantly refusing. The entire community has worked together to better our area, but these people are being stubborn and they do not want to go anywhere," an upset Vani said, speaking on behalf of the Dilanga family. "We've even offered that we just take the front portion of their house and attach it to the back, because it's that simple. It's not a lot of space that we need."
The municipality has on numerous occasions attempted to mediate with the family to try and convince them to either relocate to a temporary residential area, or just bring their fence within the appropriate boundary. According to Vani, the municipality took the legal route last year, allegedly obtaining a court order to have the family removed.
The municipality's Nkume confirmed this, saying "The court order was indeed issued in our [the municipality] favour and was pending negotiation with the family as well as technical assessments and pegging of the size and extent of the property to demarcate the property for construction."
Residents had also closed off Hornlee/Noetzie Road leading to Noetzie.
Photo: Blake Linder
'Willing to cooperate'
According to Xolisa Bala of the family in question, who lives in the house with his mother, sister and her husband, they are willing to move their property back to accommodate for the space that is needed to build the RDP house. "But the community wants more and we are not willing to give them more than what is required by the court order," Bala said.
"The municipality has come and demarcated with pins how much they will need, and we are happy to give them this portion."
But Vani said this is not the case. "They are lying, we do not want more. The community supports Mama [Dilanga] and we simply want to assist her in accordance with the municipality's plans."
Bala also claimed that the community and Dilanga have been harassing and threatening his family, as well as thrown objects at the house. This led them to approaching the court on 23 June to take out a restraining order against the community and Dilanga.
"We went to the court and were told that we can't take out an order against the community, and must instead file it against Mrs Dilanga," Bala explained. "We have been woken up in the mornings by people throwing things at us, and my mother is struggling to deal with everything."
Vani again said these claims are untrue. "We have not done these things, again, they are lying."
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