Alaska residents finally moving to permanent stands
Residents claim the metro is not living up to its promises and not acting according to the interests of the community.
Residents of Alaska, an informal settlement located in the far east of Mamelodi, are finally moving to their much-awaited permanent stands.
This comes after they were temporarily placed on a mountain for over 18 years pending their relocation.
The Tshwane Human Settlements department started the relocation process on April 22, with residents being moved to Piernaarspoort.
Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo confirmed that a total of 300 people will be relocated in the current phase of this process.
He said the residents are being moved to Pienaarspoort extensions 15, 23, 24 and 25.
“The process is continuous and is expected to be completed in the next three to five years,” said Mashigo.
He said the decision to move residents from the informal settlements is due to the land not being developable as it is located on a green belt.
“Residents can expect permanent stands that will be advanced gradually over time at their new place of settlement.”
Despite the metro’s efforts, the majority of the residents are unhappy with how the relocation process is being handled.
They claim that the metro is not living up to its promises.
Alaska community leader Elias Msiza said the metro had promised to provide an official plan when the relocation process was ready to be implemented.
“We were shocked to hear on Monday [April 21], during a holiday, that tomorrow [Tuesday, April 22] we are being moved to permanent stands.
“Where is the official plan of the relocation project that the metro promised, because we agreed during our meetings with them that we would be given a certain period to prepare ourselves to relocate when the time comes?” he asked.
He claimed the metro is acting according to its own interests and not those of the residents and that it going against their agreement.
“We had come to an agreement and provided a comprehensive report that 2 000 people, who are currently residing in Alaska, will be prioritised and will be moved according to sections. But the metro started in the middle sections of Alaska, seemingly handpicking people who are being moved.”
Resident Simon Masweneng claimed their place of relocation was not what they expected and that the metro had ambushed them, not giving them a chance to prepare themselves properly.
“The relocation process was started abruptly during holidays when people were in the rural areas, and then they moved people to a place that was clearly not prepared for us to settle on.”
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