AN ANC ward councillor in the Cape Flats has locked horns with Bonginkosi Madikizela, the MEC for housing in the Western Cape, over a multi-million rand housing project.
Yesterday, the councillor, Depoutch Elese, threatened to report Madikizela to the Human Rights Commission and the speaker of the Western Cape Legislature "for abusing his power as MEC".
This came after Madikizela applied to the Cape Town high court for a restraining order against Elese and members of the Boys Town Project Steering Committee not to interrupt the Boys Town housing development in Crossroads, near Cape Town.
Community members claim that Elese, who is involved in the development of the project, actually caused disruptions to the construction.
Along with this, several community members were arrested earlier this month during a protest when they brought the N2 to a standstill, claiming that Elese gave construction jobs to his friends. Elese has denied the allegations.
The development is part of the N2 Gateway but was marred by "infighting" for the past eight years.
Residents drove the contractor off the construction site on different occasions.
When completed, the project will house 1365 families.
Madikizela said the steering committee and "other individuals" have threatened the contractor and ordered him to stop working.
"Nobody has authority to interfere with and stop construction," he said.
Madikizela had also disbanded the committee for failing to resolve the conflict.
Elese said Madikizela was using bullying tactics by wanting him and the project steering committee restrained and that "the community will not go without a fight".
"If he says he does not want the councillor in the project, that means 90percent of the residents who voted for the councillor and the ANC will have to deal with that because it's a violation.
"We will report him to the Human Rights Commission as well as the speaker of the legislature as he is abusing his powers," Elese said.
He said the people who had been disrupting the project were forced onto the community by Madikizela himself.
MEC using bullying tactics - councillor
AN ANC ward councillor in the Cape Flats has locked horns with Bonginkosi Madikizela, the MEC for housing in the Western Cape, over a multi-million rand housing project.
Yesterday, the councillor, Depoutch Elese, threatened to report Madikizela to the Human Rights Commission and the speaker of the Western Cape Legislature "for abusing his power as MEC".
This came after Madikizela applied to the Cape Town high court for a restraining order against Elese and members of the Boys Town Project Steering Committee not to interrupt the Boys Town housing development in Crossroads, near Cape Town.
Community members claim that Elese, who is involved in the development of the project, actually caused disruptions to the construction.
Along with this, several community members were arrested earlier this month during a protest when they brought the N2 to a standstill, claiming that Elese gave construction jobs to his friends. Elese has denied the allegations.
The development is part of the N2 Gateway but was marred by "infighting" for the past eight years.
Residents drove the contractor off the construction site on different occasions.
When completed, the project will house 1365 families.
Madikizela said the steering committee and "other individuals" have threatened the contractor and ordered him to stop working.
"Nobody has authority to interfere with and stop construction," he said.
Madikizela had also disbanded the committee for failing to resolve the conflict.
Elese said Madikizela was using bullying tactics by wanting him and the project steering committee restrained and that "the community will not go without a fight".
"If he says he does not want the councillor in the project, that means 90percent of the residents who voted for the councillor and the ANC will have to deal with that because it's a violation.
"We will report him to the Human Rights Commission as well as the speaker of the legislature as he is abusing his powers," Elese said.
He said the people who had been disrupting the project were forced onto the community by Madikizela himself.
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