Thanks to Minister Sisulu: The Lwandle inquiry will uncover the hidden dirt

Thursday, 17 July 2014

The SACP in the Western Cape is appalled by the continuous paranoia of Helen Zille's administration against any form of assistance to the Lwandle community.

We reiterate our support for the establishment of the Lwandle Inquiry as an attempt to uncover what has led to the victimisation of the poor in this area. Thus the Party maintains that the Zille administration's policy of manipulation, divide and rule has regressed progressive steps of integrated development to the dark days of Apartheid. Evident in this position is the Premier's and Mayor's blatant manipulation of community members which resulted in the heinous incitement of violence.

The reality, regardless of the Premier constantly crying sour grapes to mainstream media, is the negligent and inhumane nature of the evictions on the coldest month of the year. The Premier along with the City Mayor are so far removed from the plight of the poor in the Province that alternative accommodation post-evictions did not even enter their neoliberal minds.

This negligent and brutal manner of governance is apparent at every instance; the fact that the Premier and Mayor have bombarded the media with press releases absolving themselves from any responsibility is indicative of their guilt in this travesty. Regardless of the outcomes of the Lwandle Inquiry, the Premier's and Mayor's attitude in this human rights violation must be condemned at every opportunity. It is hoped however that the Lwandle Inquiry will expose the failures of the negligent Western Cape government, just as the South African Human Rights Commission did recently in relation to the Western Cape Government's provision of inadequate sanitation facilities along racial lines.

The Premier's recent remarks calling the Lwandle Inquiry a "political hit squad" reflects her schizophrenic mind-set. She further proclaims that the enquiry is made up of ANC members and/or supporters; such utterances once again reflect the Premier's backward and bizarre irrationality.

The SACP in the Western Cape demands that the Provincial and City of Cape Town administrations begin to prioritise the needs of the poor over that of the most privileged. The SACP demands that the Premier discards her government's deceptive position on the provision of housing, as in her words it "will take centuries to be addressed". Once again we reiterate the urgent call to review the administrative control of the Western Cape Human Settlements Department which is unwilling, unable and has completely failed in bettering the lives of the poor through the development of Human Settlements in the province.

Statement issued by Masonwabe Sokoyi, SACP Western Cape Provincial Spokesperson, July 17 2014

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