Pretoria - Some Mamelodi flood victims who were forced to leave their homes and go to a local community hall after their dwellings were washed away by a raging storm in February last year, are not impressed following the government’s promise to fast-track their relocation process.
About 200 shack dwellers from Mountain View, Mavuso, and Willow Farm informal settlements, were temporarily moved to the Nellmapius Community Hall in Mamelodi after a local river overflowed following heavy rains, washing away their homes on February 5 2022.
The Pretoria News recently reported that the residents were despondent after being assured that relocation would take place by December, but have since been sent from pillar to post with no one communicating.
Yesterday, the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements issued a statement following a Pretoria News article, making more promises to fast-track the relocation of the victims and to communicate further next month.
Department spokesperson Tahir Sema said in the statement: “The department is aware of the plight of the Mamelodi flood victims in Pretoria, currently in temporary shelter provided by the City of Tshwane.
“The department, together with the City of Tshwane, has a plan and remains committed to relocating people in various informal settlements in the province. Relocation plans are in progress. We will update the public by February again.
“The relocation to habitable land will only be for those identified areas that pose the greatest risk to people’s lives and livelihoods.”
Sema added that through the upgrading of the informal settlements programme policy, the department would be hiring 500 “fit and agile” people for a period of two months to assist the communities with the relocation process.
However, some community members are not impressed by the government’s “never-ending” promises, saying it was not the first time that leaders would have sold them a dummy.
Tsakani Shingange, who had all her belongings washed away during the floods, brushed off the assertions of the department.
“They have been promising us that they would relocate us since the first day we arrived here.
“It’s been a year since they have promised.
“They make these promises every time after news articles have been written. They don’t mean anything at all,” Shingange said.
Another resident and community leader, Moses Mboweni, said he would only believe it when it happened.
“We are not the only ones that are in this plight. There are others from Bufferlake who have been promised the same, and have yet to realise it,” Mboweni said.
He was referring to the shack dwellers of 77 Bufferlake informal settlement, who also lost their valuables in 2019 due to heavy rains and were still waiting to be relocated.
The department further called on residents not to illegally occupy land.
“The department would like to caution Gauteng residents that the illegal occupation of suitable or unsuitable land is dangerous, illegal and a punishable offence. It is unwise and unsafe to reside on or alongside flood-prone zones.”
Pretoria News