Flood victims’ move postponed – again
“I am left speechless as to how the metro is operating.”
The Tshwane metro has postponed the planned move of the so-called “Mamelodi flood victims” – again.
The move, part of the phase 2A relocation process, was supposed to start on 6 April but did not take place.
“I am left speechless as to how the metro is operating,” said Mandla Mahlangu (47).
READ MORE: Official’s death not cause of flood victims relocation postponement, says metro
Mahlangu current lives at Buffer Lake, also known as the Seven Seven, an informal settlement next to Eerste Fabrike.
He was one of a large group of people whose shacks were swept away during heavy rains on 9 December 2019.
These flood victims are still waiting to be relocated and many of them stay at various community halls and local churches in the area.
“Many people here took days off work for the move,” he told Rekord.
“There is a complete lack of communication between the metro and us.
“They can’t go on like this, making promises they can’t keep. They must give us the correct date of relocation.”
The flood victims were all ready, having packed up all their belongings and valuables in boxes, waiting for the metro to send trucks to move them.
“We were told that on 6 April the site will be ready and that residents from Eerste Fabrieke, Seven Seven, K54 and Transit Camp 1 will be moved as stated in the relocation plan approved by all stakeholders,” said Mahlangu.
Victim of floods in Mamelodi have decided to take Tshwane metro to high court following another disappointment.
“Enough is enough,” said December Matlala, a representative of the flood victims.
“We are taking Tshwane metro to court.
“We were told that the process of clearing the site started last month and that there was progress on the site. However, only a few days ago the site is still not yet cleared.
“Our meetings with metro officials have never been fruitful because there is a lot of things that needs to be clarified when it comes to the relocation process. Now we are seeking legal advice to force the metro to keep their promises,” said Matlala.
“We also believe that there is corruption among metro officials when it comes to the budget set aside for the relocation process.
“Someone must be held accountable if the money for moving us has been misused.
“We also want to fix the number of people expected to be relocated,” he said.
“They made changes to the list of people who were expected to be relocated this year, without consulting us.
“Maybe they are waiting for people to die first before they take us seriously.”
The Tshwane metro could not be reached for comment at the time of going to press.
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
