‘We are being left behind on purpose’ claims Nellmapius flood victims
“We are still going back to them to relocate them, but should they refuse again we are jumping to the next informal settlement,” says Acting Group Head for the department of human settlement, Sello Chipu.
A hundred households from 77 Buffer Lake informal settlement in Nellmapius, who were set to be relocated with other flood victims, claimed they were being left behind on purpose.
The residents, who were also victims of the floods in 2019, said they were among the 650 households that the Tshwane metro’s human settlements department was busy relocating to a safe spot.
A representative of the flood victims, December Matlala said “residents are starting to panic because anytime soon the rainy season will start while the relocation process was being delayed”.
The households were supposed to be relocated from 17 to 28 July.
https://www.citizen.co.za/rekord/378984/flood-victims-unhappy-with-small-stands/
Matlala said there were rumours that the residents had refused to be relocated and the human settlement department “decided to leave them behind without consulting them”.
He said instead only 550 households in some parts of Mamelodi and at Eerste Fabrieke informal settlement were relocated.
Matlala said “too much corruption” in the relocation process had led to the protest.
“We are experiencing delays for no apparent reason other than corruption,” said Matlala.
“We are very disappointed in the metro because now the rainy season is coming, and we don’t want to experience the 2019 flooding again.”
https://www.citizen.co.za/rekord/372156/flood-victims-move-postponed-again/
He added that they have been waiting for almost two years to be relocated.
Human settlements acting group head Sello Chipu said the allegations made against them were not true.
“The relocation process was going well until we went to 77 Buffer Lake informal settlement to relocate the 100 households and the residents demanded that everyone must be relocated and not just the 100 households,” said Chipu.
He further said the numbers were not correct.
“We only relocated 500 households and they still need to relocate 50 households from Transit 1 and 2 informal settlement in Mamelodi East as well as the 100 from 77 Buffer Lake informal settlement in Nellmapius.
“We are still going to relocate them, but should they refuse again we are jumping to the next informal settlement.”
He added that Phase 2B will soon start as soon as they have finalised the availability of land.
Chipu said they wanted to relocate everyone before the rainy season arrives.
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