With the Local Government Elections set for 4 November, political parties are stepping up their campaigns and introducing voters to the candidates hoping to lead municipalities across the country.
VOC Breakfast has officially launched “Meet the Mayors” — a special weekly feature giving listeners the opportunity to hear directly from mayoral candidates, learn more about their priorities and understand their vision for the future of local government.
The series kicked off with ActionSA mayoral candidate MP Dereleen James, who joined VOC Breakfast to discuss her campaign, her key priorities and what she believes needs to change in Cape Town.
Speaking on the District Six forced removals, James says government needs to accelerate the restitution process for residents who were forcibly removed from the area under apartheid.
She says she has called on national government to provide a full report on the progress of restitution, arguing that restoring communities is essential to addressing the lasting social wounds caused by forced removals.
“I posed a question to national government to give me a full report on how far they are with restitution. We need to accelerate restitution for those people who have lost their houses,” James said.
She says restitution is about more than returning property, but also about restoring social justice, reuniting communities and addressing the long-term consequences of forced removals.
“For as long as we don’t do right by the residents who were forcefully moved, who are today living on one property with ten backyard dwellers, the bitterness, the heartache… Imagine taking a group of people and dumping them far away from opportunities and expecting a different outcome from what we are seeing today,” she said.
James says the housing and socio-economic challenges facing many communities today are among the lasting scars of the District Six removals.
“These are all the scars of the District Six forced removals,” she said.
Listen to the full interview with MP Dereleen James below.
Photo: VOCfm
