That’s right. Hlomelikusasa is being EVICTED!
Our office is prime realty, located at the top of the main road in the Public Works Department. We occupy a small 3m by 3m room adjoined to the Traffic Department’s similar sized room. Well, it looks like the Traffic Department wants our office, and an NGO helping orphans and vulnerable children seems to be expendable in the eyes of the Public Works Department.
Hlomelikusasa office (the door on the right -- not the whole box)
Our ASAP boss was in town when we got the eviction notice, and she’s trying to make waves — what right does the Traffic Department have to demand OUR space? Of course, when confronted everyone in Traffic denies it. “Who, us? Kick you out of your office? Why, we’d never do something like that!” But they would, and they have. A dozen phone calls were made, and as usual nobody wants to take responsibility. Priscilla even drove an hour away to the head office in Kokstad this AM to meet with the movers and shakers, but apparently it’s a done deal. Traffic wants the office, and so Traffic gets it.
Public Works Department, (our office in the backround) is one of the most secure & guarded areas in town
Scilla & Boniswa were able to negotiate that 30 days is unreasonable. If Public Works can’t provide an alternate office, we can’t be completely left in the lurch. The big problem is that there is no free space in town. All the land is “spoken for” which is an odd concept alltogether. People don’t pay for land here, they simply take their case to the Chief or Head Man, tell him what land they want, and he decides whether or not they can have it. Sucks for Hlomelikusasa, because ALL the land in town is either in use or spoken for.
Andy & Gcina hard at work in our measly office.
Fikiswa & Simthembile doing officey things.
There’s a possibility of renting an office in the renovated section of the Makaula Hotel (The Makaulas are Mount Frere royalty), but we’re still waiting on that. We are planning to build new offices, but finding land that is close enough to town for all our Village Health Workers and orphans to get to is posing a difficult problem. We get a LOT of walk-ins here — people reporting cases of abuse, neglect, or death in their area — and if our office is too far out of town, those cases may never be reported.
Mama Ngule, our project manager at Hlomelikusasa
It makes you want to SCREAM!!!!! Wish us luck, and if anyone has any weight in the Mount Frere area, see if you can get us a nice piece of land in town, eh?
Update:
Talking with Public Works has just made it more clear that Traffic are indeed the ones trying to push us out. We’ve gained a month or too of time to find a new office and we’re going to ratchet up the political pressure next week. In the meantime, the office at Makaula Hotel turned out to be a shoebox for R2000/mo (OK, it’s only $200, but that’s significantly more than our flat, for example and we can’t afford it.)
March 14th, 2009 at 18:32
This sucks! I do have a certain amount of influence in th Mount Frere area, but unfortunately it’s only with you. And not very much at that, come to think of it.
March 16th, 2009 at 10:46
OMG, are you kidding me!? That’s terrible! I have to say, though, that it sounds pretty freaking typical. A lot of people here, especially in government I think, have no feeling that consideration to others is in any way necessary. That’s horrendously selfish, though. I’m appalled.
And R2000!!!!?!!?! That’s how much WE pay for our apartment, which is at least 5 times the size of that office, and in a really nice part of the city of Cape Town! Disgusting.
March 17th, 2009 at 01:54
India told me about this, this weekend! bullocks! really sad and disgusting. If there is anything I can do from here to help save your office, let me know!
March 17th, 2009 at 14:28
Thanks guys! Dad, I’ll see if I can get you a meeting with me… but don’t hold your breath. I’m very busy. Alex, I can’t believe these crap offices cost the same as your sweet Cape Town pad. So unfair. And Country Girl: Maybe you can send us some wicked Coach bags and we can try to bribe city officials w/ stylish goods! xoxo
March 19th, 2009 at 23:19
This sucks!! I’m so sorry to hear about this. I wish I could help, but I can’t think of anyone in Mt.Frere who can help..I guess you have cheeked out with the municipality about the old mutual bulding already.. sorry umlungos!!
Best of luck!!