Pretoria - The Gauteng Department of Human Settlements has made more promises to the Mamelodi flood victims, saying their relocation plans are “ongoing”.
Responding to an article by the Pretoria News on Monday, which said the flood victims from Mountain View, Mavuso and Willow Farm informal settlements were planning to protest to the municipality, demanding to be relocated, the department, with the City of Tshwane, said they were working to “address” the relocation plans.
Departmental spokesperson Tahir Sema said: “We are aware of the detailed relocation plans, with challenges being addressed by the City of Tshwane in respect of the flood victims in Mamelodi.
“Relocations by the City have indeed started and are ongoing, as per the initial community consultations.”
He said the department had been working with the metro by assisting to fast-track the process through acquiring land and additional funding.
“We call upon the community to be patient as the City tries to assist as many people as possible who were affected by the floods.”
Sema said some of the challenges that caused delays included availability of suitable land, financial constraints, rapid urbanisation, continued land invasion along flood-lines in the city, and challenging community consultations.
He said the department and the City were finalising the funding and gazetting of additional funds for the municipality to complete site clearances, relocations, procurement of rudimentary water, and sanitation and waste management services.
“This process will be concluded as soon as the department’s Business Plan for ISUPG (Informal Settlements Upgrading Partnership Grant) has been approved by the National Department of Human Settlements,” Sema said.
More than 150 shack dwellers were moved to the Nellmapius Community Hall in Mamelodi after their homes were washed away during a rainstorm in February last year.
Community leaders told Pretoria News that if there was no communication from government by this week they would take to the streets to protest.
Leader, Moses Mabunda, had initially said all the victims wanted was land to build new homes.
“We’re only looking for land.
“All they have to do is to make available safe land that we can move to. We are living with girl children and pregnant women who need their privacy when they bath or sleep.”
Mabunda said the municipality had previously told them it had secured land at Mooiplaas.
“It looks like the Mooiplaas idea failed because they have since told us that we were going to be moved somewhere else, but they are now quiet,” he said.
Pretoria News