Klaus Eickelmann, Somerset West
Norma de Beer’s letter “Squatter woes” (Bolander November 6) attracted my immediate attention, since I also live in Bizweni Avenue, only a stone-throw away from the old historical bridge and all the human filth which goes with that sordid squatting situation.
How many times hasn’t the municipality tried already to evict these people from the pipes underneath Main Road. It is like nailing jelly to the wall.
Over the years determined efforts by members of various home owners associations, amongst others Lourens River Estate, which even includes a lawyer, has come to nothing. The City’s indifference is proverbial.
Having just returned from Europe, where people are far less willing to take unacceptable situations lying down, I keep on asking myself why
folks here in South Africa have this tendency of shrugging things off as inevitable or God-sent?
By contrast, our fellow South Africans in the townships demonstrate and toyi-toyi for no rhyme or reason, generally with success.
If white South Africans are not keen on this type of protest, perhaps they should consider withholding their monthly property rate payments.
If enough residents were to have the courage to do this on a concerted basis, perhaps Dan Plato and his team would finally wake up? Alternatively, let us flood the Mayor’s office with hundreds of individual letters of protest.
