About 200 Mamelodi flood victims, who have been accommodated at Nellmapius community hall for two years, are worried that their hopes of being relocated to the government’s promised land before Christmas Day might not materialise.
Their shacks in Mountain View, Mavuso and Willow Farm informal settlements were built close to the riverbanks and washed away by heavy rains in February 2022.
They feared having to spend another bleak festive season as homeless people.
Their deep-seated worries were despite the fact that last week, the City of Tshwane rolled out a relocation process, which is expected to last until the end of December.
The victims said they were disappointed that the relocation had not started with them despite a previous government promise that they would be first in line to be moved to the new settlement in Leeuwfontein Extension 27.
However, when the relocation process got under way, the City moved people from informal settlements located near the riverbanks.
One of the victims, Noko Mabotja, said: “Our biggest worry is that no one has so far approached us to inform us about a date scheduled for our relocation.”
Like many of the other victims, Mabotja questioned why the government had not allowed them to move first.
“They are busy relocating other people who are living in their shacks while we have been staying here for two hours waiting to be moved. They have not said anything to us. We are actually in the dark about the whole relocation process.
“They should have at least started with us. I am not working. I'm staying with one of my children.”
She said her home was in Mamelodi but she couldn’t live there as it was crammed with family members.
“I will be honest with you, living here is not good because there is no privacy,” she added.
Another victim, Johannah Skhosana, echoed the sentiment that it was unfair that the government had overlooked those who have been living inside a hall for almost two years.
She said she had lost count of the number of unfulfilled promises government officials had made to them.
“Before last week’s relocation, they told us that we would be moved from here before November 1. November 1 has passed and we are still stuck here. And now they are not saying anything to us,” she said.
Skhosana bemoaned the fact that people accommodated in the hall were not counted among those to be relocated.
“We are worried that we might have another bleak Christmas and New Year while still staying here. This is so disappointing. We don’t have privacy anymore. They are relocating people who still have shacks. What about us people whose shacks have been washed away by the floods?” she said.
The victims raised complaints despite the assurance by MMC for Human Settlements Ofentse Madzebatela that the relocation was expected to be completed by the end of December 2023.
He said more than 500 households would be relocated to Leeuwfontein Extension 27, including the flood victims and beneficiaries from Eerste Fabrieke, Phomolong, Mamelodi Phase 1 and Mamelodi Extension 17 informal settlements.
Pretoria News