By Proffesor Ndawonde
Johannesburg - Minister of Human Settlements Tokyo Sexwale has clarified media speculations that government will evict people living in informal settlements to hide them from tourists during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Speaking at a post Local Organising Committee press conference on Thursday, Minister Sexwale said those were dense assumptions and government had never planned to evict people living in shacks.
"There is a no policy that says government must evict people who are living in poverty or in shacks nearby venues. We cannot do that.
"We cannot hide people from the view of tourists. Actually government wants to empower these people and we will be more excited if tourists can visit these areas and buy in spaza shops in townships," he said.
LOC Chief Executive Officer, Danny Jordaan said government and the LOC cannot be hypocritical by hiding people who are stricken by poverty, adding that media must stop spreading unnecessary and fallacious statements.
"That is not a position and tourists have been in these areas and are part of South Africa. Why would the government hide them?