SECUNDA – A group of about 20 residents from the Holfontein and Tweedraai communities outside Trichardt took their grievances to the Govan Mbeki Municipal offices on Friday, 8 March.
They ended their peaceful march with the handing over of a memorandum that stipulates their complaints.
These include the lack of services and the lack of feedback from the mayor, Ms Thandi Ngoxonono, who allegedly promised to relocate the communities to an area near Adullam between Evander and eMbalenhle.
The marchers said they still have not seen the place the mayor has promised them.
Written in the memorandum is the following:
“We have had enough of your empty promises. We have stayed too long in this place without services. We want our promised land.”
The memorandum ends with a warning that the residents will abstain from voting if their issues are ignored.
The residents gave the municipality a week to respond.
A municipal official received the memorandum on behalf of the executive mayor, Ms Thandi Ngoxonono on Friday.
The original Holfontein squatter camp residents were removed from farmland in 2016 and settled at vacant area near Isibonelo Mines.
According to a resident who wanted to remain anonymous, the municipality made several promises of relocation and services.
Ms Ciska Jordaan of the DA, who is also the councillor of Ward 25 that includes Trichardt, is concerned that neither the executive mayor nor any of her mayoral committee showed up to receive the memorandum that was presented by the community.
“These communities have been without services for years and are continuously ignored by the municipality,” said Ms Jordaan.
“The response to a question I sent to the mayor regarding these communities, was unsatisfactory.
“It indicated that the municipality has no plans to supply temporary services to these communities, because the people are to be relocated to land next to the Adullam Mission Station.”
Ms Jordaan recently visited the land earmarked for the relocation and found nothing – no form of construction, no preparation for housing or any services.
“It is an open field which had clearly not seen any feet on it for quite some time,” said Ms Jordaan.
“The DA has been attempting to highlight the concerns of these communities who are continuously ignored in the proposed IDP, regardless of my constructive submissions since 2016.
“These residents have been without proper access to water, sanitation and electricity for years. This is no dignified way to live,” said Ms Jordaan.
The municipal spokesmen were asked in writing, as well as telephonically, for comment on Monday morning, but they did not respond at time of going to press.
