WATCH: No land, no vote, vow Freedom Park residents
Freedom Park residents have threatened to block roads and join the coloured community’s Gauteng shutdown if the rapid land release programme is not accelerated.
The community marched from Freedom Park Primary School to the Eldorado Park Civic Centre on Monday.
One of the organisers of the march, Thami Hukwe, said since the announcement by Gauteng Human Settlements MEC Uhuru Moiloa that the community will be given land, there has been no update.
"The MEC came here on the 12th of May 2018 and promised the launch of the rapid land release programme, he said they would release the Southern farms to this community. Up to so far, nothing has happened between the community and the MEC. The community developed a proposal on how the land will be developed and submitted it to the MEC so he can engage us, but nothing has happened."
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Hukwe says the community must to be included in the process.
"We want to be included in the plans. This thing of bringing the development in the name of the community without the community is not working for us. In the past, it has only worked for private companies and individuals. This must be about the community and it must be the main beneficiary."
Community member Peter Monethe says they are in desperate need of land.
"We have about 70 000 families living in Freedom Park and you will find that one yard houses about 14 to 15 shacks to accomodate that whole family. The electricity power we have cannot even supply all those shacks with electricity. During winter time, we experience a lot of power outages because of this."
Monethe says the dire situation has led to an increase in drug abuse and drug-related crimes.
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