268 people moved from informal settlement due to impact on rail infrastructure
The metro is providing the permanent stands to residents and Prasa is responsible for demolishing of structures including on-loading, transportation and off-loading.
A total of 268 people have been relocated from the Donosa informal settlement to Strydfontein.
Footage of the beneficiaries circulated on social media showing residents moving their belongings and taking down their shacks.
The residents expressed mixed emotions over the move, saying “government seems to not consider that they have started their livelihoods in the area and are now forced to restart elsewhere”.
“We have families and young children, we cannot just pick up and go each time they decide to move us,” said one resident, who requested to remain anonymous.
Another resident said he was happy that the government was considering the livelihoods of the people by moving them away from the “dangerous” railway line. The resident said that he was happy to be relocating to a safer area.
The relocation was initiated by the Tshwane metro and the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa).
According to the Tshwane MMC for Human Settlements Abel Tau, the relocation had to be done as the Donosa informal settlement was located on the servitude of Prasa and impacted the development of rail infrastructure.
“The metro is providing the permanent stands to residents and Prasa is responsible for demolishing structures, including on-loading, transportation and off-loading of structural materials and rebuilding of 30m² temporary shelters in the permanent stands at proposed The Orchards 110,” said Tau.
He added that the metro has provided interim basic services through water tankers and chemical toilets while pursuing an incremental formal development process for the beneficiaries.
Tau said the human settlements department team was working hand-in-hand with other stakeholders such as the community safety cluster and the Department of Home Affairs to ensure that only South African citizens benefit from this project.
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“This project is aimed at providing our previously disadvantaged communities with security of tenure, and contributing towards achieving public policy outcomes to create integrated communities closer to employment opportunities and public transport,” he said.
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