Residents of Zakariyya Park in the south of Johannesburg have voiced strong opposition to the erection of shacks near their homes, with some threatening to block the Golden Highway on Monday in protest.
Residents argue that the shacks, just a kilometre from their properties, undermines the value of their homes and worsens existing service delivery issues. Many say they already face daily water cuts, which they link to the construction of RDP houses in the area 11 years ago.
“We were able to accept the RDP houses, but not shacks,” said one resident who declined to be named. “Imagine waking up and finding shacks right across the road, in an area where we pay up to R30,000 a year in rates and taxes. This will drag the value of our homes straight into the mud.”
Long-time homeowner Ntombi Kwapeng, who has lived in Zakariyya Park for more than 30 years, said crime in the suburb has worsened since the introduction of RDP housing, and she fears it will escalate.
“Over the years, crime has got worse, and now we are surrounded by shacks and strangers we don’t know. No-one consulted us about this project. It just happened in two months,” she said.
Residents insist that the shacks are a safety risk and an unfair burden on a paying community.
Another resident, who asked not to be named, echoed the same anger but added a deep sense of betrayal.
“Since those RDP houses came, we’ve been having water cuts twice a day. And now, more people are being brought here with no water, no toilets, no infrastructure. Who is going to pay for that? Us. We are already paying extra, and still we don’t have basic water.”
Imagine waking up and finding shacks right across the road, in an area where we pay up to R30,000 a year in rates and taxes.
— Resident
She said crime has got so bad that they have been considering gating their community to protect themselves.
Ward councillor Nkosephayo Zungu said the shack development is not a land invasion but a formal housing project led by the government.
He stressed that the relocation of residents is part of a government plan to clear shacks off Eskom’s servitude, where a substation is being built.
However, he said there is no plan to provide the residents with RDP houses.
“The allocation of stands is the new housing process since RDP houses are no longer being built,” Zungu said.
“About 700 shacks have been erected so far, with a target of 900. The majority of these families were moved from Phumulamqhashi [an informal settlement nearby].”
For the relocated families, the move was not voluntary.
“We didn’t bring ourselves here; government and Eskom moved us. We are a peaceful community, not criminals as people say,” said Julia Tefo, 32, who lives in a shack with her four children.
“Instead of dividing, we should be working together with Zakariyya Park residents, because we are not going anywhere.”
Another resident said: “Do they want us to always rent out back rooms. This is also our break, and they should let us be because we are not going anywhere. We are here to stay, and they should forget about us moving.”
Eskom and the office of the MMC for human settlements were contacted on Friday for comment but asked for more time to respond.
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