Kliptown residents to boycott Mandela's birthday

Kliptown residents are expected to boycott former president Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday celebrations to be held in the township, the Anti-Privatisation Forum said on Wednesday.

The forum said in a statement: “The residents took a resolution that they won’t welcome Nelson Mandela when he comes to celebrate his birthday in Kliptown because of the failure of the African National Congress to deliver on its promises since 1994”.

The Kliptown Concerned Residents Association are expected to march from the Battery Centre on July 12, at 9am, to Walter Sisulu Square to deliver a memorandum to Mandela.

The statement said the residents would protest against poor service delivery and the non-delivery of houses.

Last year the residents signed a petition calling for the local councillors to be fired but there was no response, the statement said.

“Mayor Amos Masondo also came under fire from the residents who claimed that his June 18 visit was to ‘window shop’ their concerns,” the statement said.

Masondo’s spokesperson was not immediately available for comment. - Sapa