Tshwane metro must prioritise Alaska residents relocation

Residents of Alaska informal settlement in the far east of Mamelodi are threatening to take their frustration to the streets.

The residents are angry with the metro because informal settlements that were established in 2010 are being prioritised for relocation before them.

The residents claimed they have been struggling for better service delivery since 2007 when Alaska informal settlement was established.

The residents threatened to go on a strike if they are not relocated by next Monday, June 14.

One of the residents, Simon Masweneng, said residents are becoming impatient and demanded that Tshwane metro relocate them first.

Alaska residents demanded to be placed in Phase 2A because of their poor living conditions and said they have been patiently waiting for years to be relocated to a safer place.

The residents are currently under Phase 2B relocation, but they feel that they should be relocated first.

“The living conditions at Alaska is bad and we reside on the mountain and while others erected shacks on the edge of the mountain,” said Masweneng.

He said it was very dangerous because at any given time boulders come rolling down the mountain “right down to our shack”.

Masweneng said they condemned protests or threats to close down the streets of Mamelodi.

He said it is against the law but when community members are angry, “there is nothing we can do to stop them, except to delay the whole process”.

Another resident, Billy Mametja, said the metro should prioritise them because Alaska informal settlement was not safe for everyone.

“We have so many illegal connections and so far more than 12 people lost their lives including small children because of illegal connections in the area,” said Mametja.

He added that they have informed law enforcement about the planned protest should they not be relocated by next week Monday.

Furthermore, unhappy residents said they “don’t even have an exact date of when the relocation process will start”.

“We are being kept in the dark.”

Resident Elias Msize said the metro needed to address residents and give them the exact date of relocation.

“The metro needs to explain why they did not start with us.”

The Tshwane metro was yet to comment by the time of going to press.

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