The community of Mitchell’s Plain said that they have yet to find a solution to their grievances with the informal dwellers in the Siqalo informal settlement.

Speaking on behalf of the newly established committee, Pastor Frankiln Williams said that a meeting held this past Sunday didn’t yield as much successes as they were hoping for.

Williams said that although there were two ward councillors in attendance, not much has been said or spoken about the way forward and what the next step will be toward finding a solution to the woes cause by the Siqalo informal settlers.

“We haven’t really sat down with the City itself but are planning to do so. We also want to sit down with a possible committee from Siqalo to really find out what the core problems are, and why they feel they need to protest whenever they have issues they need the City to sort out,” added Williams.

He explains that those people cannot simply be removed, and that this is not what the committee is hoping to achieve. Rather, all they want is to find a solution for those affected, and to prevent any further protesting from the dwellers.

Williams said that although there are many rumors about the community being bitter and wanting the informal dwellers to leave the area, they cannot expect that this be done.

“According to a facebook post by a particular ward councillor, there has been some kind of engagement between the Siqalo informal dwellers and the City but we have not been a part of it. We have to be a part of it,” Willaims stressed.

He goes on to say that it is only when they have followed proper procedure, that they will know what the next step in the process will be, before a solution can be found regarding the protests. VOC (Imogen Vollenhoven)