Pretoria -The new MMC for Human Settlements, Kgosietsile Kgosiemang, has vowed to relocate Mamelodi flood victims between now and April, following years of a patience-testing wait.
Kgosiemang informed Pretoria News that the people who lost their valuables and homes numerous times at the Eerste Fabrieke Informal Settlement would be moved to a secure location, which “cannot be communicated at this point” to avoid land invasion.
He spoke while at Mamelodi police station this week, as he opened a criminal case against people who have been illegally selling stands and moving vulnerable people in desperate need to Block D, Mabopane.
Kgosiemang said such incidents were exactly why the City of Tshwane would remain mum about the land it secured from the Provincial Department of Human Settlements, but he was certain the relocation would be taking place shortly. He said all the delays that saw his predecessor, Abel Tau, criticised for unending delays and empty promises were mostly resolved, and it was just a few things, administratively, that needed finalisation for the relocation to commence.
At the beginning of last year, Tau promised displaced residents that they would be relocated by October. But there were unforeseen delays and complications when the owner of the land died during the sale process.
“I can only account for when I became MMC and progress thus far, but what I can tell you is that we are collaborating with the provincial Department of Human Settlements headed by MEC Lebogang Maile.”
He said the process of transferring the land from the owner to the provincial government was only completed in December.
“We have already made plans at a political level to say we will be collaborating to move everyone who is living on the floodline in Mamelodi – and elsewhere in Pretoria, who is affected by similar challenges.
“That process will start this month. We are now sitting in January 2023. We are still doing some administrative work. We have spoken and agreed on a way forward with the provincial government to say it will be something that will be happening between now and April. So, it will be something that will be about four months, depending on how soon we get started.
“I can give an indication of the end of April. People will be relocated.
“From my office, relocation plans have already happened, and they have already been shared with the province so that we can socialise the same thing and same issue with them, so that if they wish to make any additions or changes they can do so on top of a pre-existing plan, so that we all move from the same position.
“I can say we have already agreed at a political level, but administratively, we have not sorted out those issues, but we will get it done soon.”
Pretoria News