Kanana informal settlement residents are seeking public assistance to fix their dilapidated community based on shipping containers.
Tucked on the outskirts of Gugulethu along the N2 freeway, the informal settlement is home to thousands of people. Just like any other community, a hall is required to host meetings and other community initiatives.
However, for this community getting a decent hall has been a monumental task. They resorted to using shipping containers. However, that has now also reached best days and is now on a downward spiral.
According to residents, the hall is now a “laughing stock” for everyone. With winter looming large, fears are mounting that the situation will get dire.
Resident Phelokazi Layisha said: “We are struggling to hold our meetings because we don’t have a community hall. We asked the owner of Sophumelela Educare Centre for a place to conduct our meetings. Sometimes the owner accommodates us, but when they have their special events or meetings we hold our meetings outside,” said Layisha.
She claimed they informed their ward councillor (Bongani Ngcombolo) about their needs but nothing has been done. “We informed Ngcombolo about the plight of our community hall last year. He said he doesn’t have the budget to fix the hall,” he stated.
Another resident Linda Lumkwana said the community hall was shattered with all the windows broken. “The door does not close properly. It leaks when it’s raining. All the chairs for the hall were stolen. The worst part is that the floor was damaged by fire,” she said.
Lumkwana claimed the facility was burned by a homeless man who uses the container to sleep at night. “There is a man who sleeps here every night. He looks like he is mentally disturbed. He is the one who is suspected of burning the hall,” she said.
According to Lumkwana, they have to go to Lwazi Centre or Cape Oil hostel for meetings. Sometimes they don’t go to the meetings when they don’t have money.
Ward 40 councillor Bongani Ngcombolo confirmed that he is aware of the challenge. He stated that the City doesn’t have the budget to fix the hall.
“That containers are not the City’s facility. So, as councillors we are not allowed to use the ward allocation money for things that are not in line with it. The maintenance of that ship container depends on the community members, not to the City,” he explained.
However, he stated that he is trying his best to ask for assistance from non governmental organisations to intervene.