UPDATE: Msawawa residents abandon UN tents due to uncomfortable conditions
MSAWAWA- Msawawa residents recently abandoned the tents pitched by the United Nations after the recent storms created unlivable conditions.
The UN had erected 36 tents for shelter for the residents, however, after the recent storms, only seven tents are still standing.
According to Ward 96 councillor Matome Mafokwane, the residents decided to abandon the tents because they wanted to rebuild their homes, using their own money, as the tents are cold at night and were not ideal for them to live in for more than a week.
He added that the MEC of the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements and Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Jacob Mamabolo, has committed to supply the settlement with building materials, even although the municipality does not encourage illegal land occupation.
Mafokwane expressed, “Some of the residents have built their shacks in a rush and not according to the correct building specifications, and they are only doing so because they are just desperate for a decent place to live, rather than living in compromised conditions.
“At the end of the day, these people are human beings and I think the department should act quickly to build them decent shelters. We should let the responsible department take care of the illegal part of things, but in the meantime, let us come to the residents’ aid.”
The community can help the residents with food parcels, baby formula, nappies and old clothes by dropping them off at Judah Africa Revival Ministry, based in Kya Sands.
Details: www.judahafrica@vodamail.co.za; 076 643 2663.
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FIRE UPDATE: Emergency services and police help salvage residents’ belongings in Msawawa
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