On January 18, MMC for Human Settlements in the City of Ekurhuleni Clr Lesiba Mpya visited Tswelopele informal settlement as part of the Siyaqhuba programme to give an ultimatum to families who had refused to be relocated.
Residents of the informal settlement refuse to be removed if the department of human settlements relocates them to temporary stands. They demand to be relocated to permanent stands.
Speaking to the informal settlement residents, Mpya said he was aware of numerous discussions the residents have had with the council about the plight of 120 families whose lives at the settlement were at risk, particularly when there were floods.
He said the demands by informal residents to be relocated to permanent stands cannot be met before the human settlements department has verified their status against the council’s system.
“The only way is to remove them. They must know that they must be removed.
Sometimes when negotiations are failing, we are going to end up with a disaster,” said Mpya.
He said during rainy seasons the Ekurhuleni municipality must relocate residents of informal settlements to a place of safety.
Programme manager in Mpya’s office, Pinky Vilakazi, said development projects located in the human settlements department have two objectives – the relocation and reblocking.
“We decided that because of the flooding crisis we needed to relocate these families to a better place.
Two hundred of the families have already been relocated.
We are now left with 120 families who are demanding to be relocated to permanent stands,” Vilakazi told Mpya and the residents.
She said the programme was not about to automatically relocate people, but that families needed to apply as individuals and to show they qualify according to the set criteria.
Aubrey Mogosi of the metro human settlement department explained that ‘reblocking’ programme was a plan to make the environment in informal settlements more habitable by re-aligning structures.
“When talking of re-alignment, we are talking about creating space between the shacks and also about creating access in terms of roads and also providing services in the area.
The programme of re-blocking improves the quality of life for the residents.
The roads will cater for their personal use, the provision of services like the collection of refuse, other services such as emergencies, mobile clinics and mobile libraries will be made,” Mogosi explained.
Mpya promised to return to have a formal meeting with the community where the issue of relocation and re-blocking would be discussed.
Mpya then headed to Olifantsfontein community hall where his de[partment handed out about 150 title deeds to property owners.
Beneficiary Mosibudi Ngatana said she was grateful to have finally received her title deed.
“I had sleepless nights waiting for my title deed. Today I will sleep a peaceful sleep. God bless the Ekurhuleni human settlements department,” said the elated Ngatana.
