Africa Unite on Wednesday 3 July held a meeting with the Councillor of Heideveld to gain more understanding on the measures that the Councillor and the community at large has done to promote the peaceful integration of new families into Heideveld.
A number of families from Gugulethu and Bonteheuwel will be moving into the Heideveld RDP houses. With openness, understanding, planning and communication between all parties, a welcoming and inclusive environment will avail in Heideveld. Similar situations in Nyanga and Delft, wherein families from other communities moved in, sparked conflicts in the recent past. Our intention is avoid such issues faced in these two mentioned communities by discussing ways to prevent potential conflicts in Heideveld before they may occur.
The Councillor informed Africa Unite of the various initiatives he has taken to ensure that there is no violence, an example of such initiatives being public meetings, newspaper articles and other forms of communication. As of now the councillor felt that
The meeting was very informative and productive as the Councillor expressed his willingness to work with Africa Unite not only on the housing issue but also advancing Human Rights Education and awareness. A follow up meeting will be held to discuss way forward in the partnership while some Peer Educators have already started Human Rights workshops in the area.