About 100 residents of Gugulethu marched to the construction site of a new shopping mall on Thursday ment on the development.
They allege that Khayelitsha residents have been given jobs, while Gugulethu residents had been overlooked.
“We were told no-one from Gugulethu is working because we don’t have the necessary skills,” claimed Mncedisi Twalo, provincial chairperson of the Anti-Eviction Campaign. Read the rest of this entry »
The AEC continues to cry out for houses, land and jobs for the poor!
Down with Big Business! Down with party politics! Down with lack of consultation!
Unemployed residents protest outside construction site of Guguletu Square mall – pics by Anna Majavu
*For more photos of the protest, see the Sowetan Online*
*Click here for a video of the protest*
Developer gives in to work protest
A six-hour stand off yesterday between about 200 jobless people and Guguletu businessman Mzoli Ngcawuzele ended when he promised to give 24 of them jobs.
The unemployed Guguletu residents and Anti-Eviction Campaign members have been protesting at the construction site and Ngcawuzele’s restaurant Mzoli’s Place for months. They are demanding that Ngcawuzele employ 100 people from Guguletu on the building site.
“We will close this site if Mzoli does not explain why he cannot give us, the local people, work on this project which is supposed to be creating jobs in Guguletu,” Matthews Siyangaphi said.
Bulldozers were forced to stop work after protestors blockaded the road outside the construction site.
But after Ngcawuzele said 24 people would be given jobs today, the protestors dispersed to draw up a list of those first in line.
“We are happy that Mzoli says he will progressively employ more and more people as time goes by,” Mncedisi Twalo of the Anti-Eviction Campaign said.
“Let’s look forward together instead of looking at our differences” Twalo said.
Ngcawuzele confirmed to Sowetan that he had agreed to employ 24 Guguletu residents .
On Thursday November 6, 2008 at about 7:00am, Gugulethu residents will again protest the construction of the new Gugulethu Mall.
Local investor in the development, Mzoli Ngcawuzele, is giving local ANC ward councillors Andile Matshikiza and Belinda Landingwe the authority choose which residents will get jobs on the site.
We reject the politicisation of job meant for poor residents. We will not allow ANC ward councillors to use the availability of jobs to campaign and by votes. We will attempt to close down the mall on Thursday demanding that Mzoli increases the amount of local jobs being offered and puts the distribution of jobs outside the hands of the political parties.
For comment, call Mncedisi at 078 5808 646
Click here for other information on the Gugulethu Mall, Mzoli, and his attempts to intimidate residents
Scores of protesters yesterday disrupted work at the construction site of the R350million “Guguletu Square” mall, demanding that the developers employ local residents.
The residents had earlier rejected a proposal by prominent local businessman and mall developer Mzoli Ngcawuzele that ANC ward councillors Andile Matshikiza and Belinda Landingwe choose the residents who will get jobs on the site.
Guguletu backyard dwellers leader Mcedisi Twalo said: “We don’t want interference by ward councilors and political parties in the job selection.”
Last week the local people marched on “Mzoli’s Place”, a restaurant owned by the same Ngcawuzele, calling on him to stop what they called “intimidation” against them.
This after Ngcawuzele had allegedly interrupted a community meeting and warned residents that former uMkhonto we Sizwe members were deployed at the development with security guards to prevent any form of protest that could delay construction.
Backyard dwellers from Gugulethu, who have protested against the development of a shopping complex in the area, are to be recruited to work at the site from Tuesday as part of an agreement reached with the developer.
An agreement was reached with developer Mzoli Ngcawuzela, who also owns the popular restaurant Mzoli’s Place in Gugulethu, and the representatives of the Anti-Eviction Campaign after tempers flared at the site on Thursday. Read the rest of this entry »
17 October 2008
Anna Majavu
Source: Sowetan
Scores of protesters yesterday disrupted work at the construction site of the R350million “Guguletu Square” mall, demanding that the developers employ local residents. Read the rest of this entry »
Residents assert that Gugs will not be ruled by individuals – whether rich or poor. Rich people like Mzoli call Gugulethu residents ‘criminals’ when they defy his vision for a corporate Gugs. But we are not criminals and we are not corrupt. If we were corrupt and stole money and land from the community, then we would be as rich as Mzoli.
But we will resist. We demand community development not big-business development!
Because Mzoli and Old Mutual have not responded to our demands, Gugulethu residents have decided to stop the development of the new Eyona Shopping Centre in Gugulethu.
We will intensify the struggle and make sure that we are in charge of the community. If we get no response today, we will come back on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
For more information, please contact Mncedisi at 078-5808-646 and Speelman at 073-9825-725.
By Esther Lewis
October 15 2008 at 11:45AM
Source: Cape Argus
The construction of a Gugulethu shopping centre will be halted on Thursday morning by Anti-Eviction Campaign (AEC) protesters if property developer Mzoli Ngcauzele does not meet their demands.
If there was no action from Ngcauzele, the AEC threatened to vandalise his home and popular Gugulethu butchery and restaurant, Mzoli’s Place.
Mncedisi Twalo, AEC spokesperson, said step two would be to bring “chocolate buckets” from the informal settlements and empty them on his properties. As a last resort they would burn tyres in the streets.
The war of words erupted on Tuesday as the AEC and about 60 residents marched on Ngcauzele and called him a “black wolf in sheep’s clothing”. Read the rest of this entry »
Guguelthu Anti-Eviction Campaign Press Statement
14 October, 2008
Begin: Gugulethu Sports Complex
End: Mzoli’s Place
Time: 15h00
Later today, the Gugulethu Anti-Eviction Campaign will be marching with Eyona tenants to Mzoli’s Place – a tourist hotspot and famous butchery/nightclub.
Months ago, small and informal business were evicted from Eyona Shopping Centre to make way for a new Mall. While this development is primarily being financed by Old Mutual, Mr. Mzoli Ngcauzela (whom residents have dubbed black wolf with sheep skin) has been Old Mutual’s strongman in dealing with the community.
On Sunday, Mzoli showed up to the AEC’s weekly mass meeting escorted by ANC members, taxi bosses and local thugs. They interrupted the meeting and told the community that “no one is going to stop the development”. They also warned that former members of Mkhonto we Sizwe were being deployed at the development alongside security guards to prevent any form of protest that could delay construction.
As a result, the community has decided to take their protest to Mzoli’s famous butchery and restaurant. While outside the township he has a good reputation (attracting politicians, tourists and other wealthy visitors to his butchery), in Gugs he is known for the mess, public drunkenness and violence that his butchery brings to the neighborhood. Throughout Gugs, he is also known for his suspicious business dealings and corrupt connections to politicians.
Gugulethu AEC demands that:
1.The community is meaningfully consulted about the shopping centre.
2.All informal traders are guaranteed space to conduct their business
3.Mzoli immediately ends his intimidation of residents.
For more information, contact Mncedisi at 078-5808-646 and Speelman at 073-9825-725
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