Residents of the Gomora informal settlement are being relocated by the Tshwane metro to assist with the numerous challenges that the area faces.
MMC for Human Settlements Ofentse Madzebatela issued this statement in light of the community unrest that has been ongoing in the informal settlement throughout the month.
The trouble started on May 7-8 when the Tshwane Ya Tima team accompanied by security removed hundreds of illegal connections which left hundreds of shacks without electricity.
Madzebatela said the metro has begun relocating over 400 homes from the informal settlement to a new township in The Orchards.
“To address the housing challenges in Gomora and surrounding areas, we began with the relocation of 440 households to Booysens Ext 4. We have also relocated 360 households from the Rand Water and Sasol pipeline servitudes to The Orchards Ext 110, where we are establishing a new township,” Madzebatela said.
Madzebatela said that the metro provides electricity and other rudimentary services through water tankers and chemical toilets as the area lacks engineering services. Last month the metro, the Coca-Cola Beverages SA, Malusi Youth Development Organisation (MYDO) and partners opened a new borehole to help quell water woes.
“The remaining group will be catered for in Andeon Ext 37. A contractor will be appointed soon, and we plan to start work there from 1 July. We are also progressing well with Andeon Ext 46 and that will see a further 1 249 households being relocated soon,” Madzebatela said.
The move is nothing new in the metro’s playbook as similar efforts to relocate Gomora residents have been made in the past. In May 2022, community members from Gomora caused disruptions at Tshwane House seeking an audience with the then Human Settlements MMC, Abel Tau, demanding that they not be relocated to the north.
Madzebatela insisted however the measures that the metro is taking will ensure affordable social housing will be viable for all residents.
“As part of the city’s plans to address the housing backlog and to deal with the housing challenges, we are looking at providing social housing initiatives to help house residents. We are currently working on two new projects with a projected 2 000 units,” Madzebatela said.
“The Sunnyside project will provide 400 units in the first phase and the Chantelle project will yield just over 1 100 units. This will help deal with the informal settlement challenges in Tshwane while also bringing people closer to economic opportunities,” Madzebatela continued.
The MMC encouraged residents to desist from land invasions as it places a heavy burden on the metro’s resources and doesn’t do justice to nearby rate-paying areas. Illegal connections in Gomora are said to cause high revenue loss, and overloads on the network and result in trips and safety risks to communities and the metro staff who work on the network.
On May 13, protestors took to Van der Hoff Road between Hornsnek Road and Malie Street and TMPD members were deployed to monitor the situation.
On May 18 a notice was communicated to residents from the community safety department and law enforcement agencies of possible violent protest action on May 20.
The unrest seemed to have slowed down as Tshwane District SAPS spokesperson Warrant Officer, Johan van Dyk confirmed that no arrest was made this week.
“We also wish to make it clear that the city condemns any acts of violence and illegal electricity connections. Such actions will be met with the contempt it deserves. In my capacity as MMC of Human Settlements, I have requested that the city work on an Informal Settlement Policy that will outline and guide the process of upgrading informal settlements. I am informed that this will be ready in the coming weeks,” Madzebatela added.
Founder and executive director of MYDO, Hlalakudi Malatji who works closely with residents in the area, said riots were due to Tshwane dragging their feet on the issue.
“Melusi informal settlement is the only informal settlement close to the CBD, let alone Union Buildings, but the most neglected when comes to basic services. The riots that we saw this month were inevitable, it was a ticking time bomb. The City of Tshwane must just give Gomora services for the sake of everyone and peace,” Malatji said.
Malatiji said the constant removal of illegal connections, reconnections, transformer breakdowns and replacements have generated a lot of infighting among Booysens and Gomora residents. He believes that the metro needs to do more as 30 years into democracy is no place for returning to old ways.
“Can the City of Tshwane do the right thing because the unbudgeted money used to replace transformers is too much and all these things can easily come to an end if Gomora is serviced?
We are not enjoying these riots at all but have been pushed by the circumstances we live in. We appreciate the work done by the City of Tshwane, especially in Melusi 2 and Booysens Ext 4 where services started to come through. But we believe that the city can still do more since most of the community is still left out and feels isolated hence the riots,” Malatiji said.
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to bennittb@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
