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To: The Executive Mayor of Merafong City Local Municipality, Nozuko Best
WE DEMAND HOUSING RESTORATION FOR KHUTSONG DISPLACED FAMILIES
20 years ago, ten families in Khutsong lost their homes because of government decisions that led to protests and homes being destroyed. The municipality provided what was supposed to be a temporary shelter while they wait for their homes to be rebuilt, but the municipality has not kept its promise. Two decades have passed, and the government has done nothing. The families have tried reaching out to the government on multiple occasions, only to be given false hope and empty promises. They deserve justice and for their matter to be treated with urgency.
The families are demanding that the municipality:
- Restore and give them their own homes.
- They want the homes to be as they were before they were destroyed, or better.
- The Merafong City Executive Mayor should implement the 2011 Council resolutions, as the other 31 families have been restored as a result of those resolutions.
Why is this important?
There are children in child-headed households who are also affected by this issue. Their parents died before they could have their homes restored, and now the government is sitting on its hands and doing nothing to provide a permanent home for those children. It is heartbreaking to see these vulnerable children being neglected by the government that is supposed to protect them.
"My husband died before we were restored, now it looks as if I am also going to follow him and leave my children and grandchildren without a home " - Mrs Mangxe
Some of the people affected by this have grown old over the years. And now, instead of enjoying retirement, they spend their time worrying about the possibility of never ever having their homes again, and what would happen to their children when they are gone. They cannot even participate in important cultural rituals since the homes they are in don’t belong to them.
The government tried to help by providing houses for families in need, but the municipality didn’t keep up with maintenance, leaving many homes in disrepair. Additionally, some families were placed in rental units, but because of the municipality’s neglect, rent payments were often delayed. This meant these families faced threats of eviction from real estate agents. Their living situation is constantly under threat, and no one can find peace when there’s uncertainty about their living situation.
Enough is enough. The obvious neglect that the government has normalised has to stop. It is heartbreaking that these families have to beg the government to do their job. What is so difficult about providing 10 families with homes? We have to do something. Please sign this petition to demand immediate action from the Municipality. If enough of us sign, we can expose the Municipality's incompetence and pressure them to do the job we elected them to do.
