While many families shared moments of happiness with their loved ones during Christmas Day, the Mamelodi flood victims had little to celebrate.
The victims have been accommodated inside Nellmapius community hall since their shacks built near the riverbanks were washed away by a heavy storm in February 2020.
They had hoped to be moved to a promised land known as Leeuwfontein Extension 27 during this festive season, but they are disappointed that no one has given them an exact date for relocation.
In November, City of Tshwane’s MMC for Human Settlements, Ofentse Madzebatela announced that the relocation process for the victims had started and that it would be completed by the end of this year.
Despite the promise of relocation the victims said there had not been any formal word from the municipality about their imminent relocation.
Others said they anticipated being contacted by authorities to update them about resettlement to a newly identified place for the victims, but that never materialised.
Speaking to the Pretoria News, Ward 28 councillor Joyce Seelane said the date to relocate the victims was still unspecified.
She said that it was only the Human Settlements Department that could be in a position to disclose the exact date for relocation.
“I can’t say whether they will be relocated by the end of this year. It could be by the end of this year or early next year or towards the end of February,”she said.
Seelane, however, indicated that the relocation process has already started with shack dwellers from other parts of the township.
One of the victims, Nikiwe Skhosana, said at least 200 people living at the community hall had hoped to celebrate Christmas at their new place.
“Some of us who are working at the retail shops decided to take annual leave days around this time with a hope that we would be relocated. But that has never happened and I will now be going back to work on December 28 because I have exhausted my leave days,” she said.
She bemoaned the fact that there has not been any communication from local councillors to keep them abreast of the possible relocation by the end of December.
“We have heard rumours that they want us to go back to where we used to stay because that is where they expect to find us during the relocation process,” she said.
The victims’ shacks in Mountain View, Mavuso and Willow Farm informal settlements were destroyed by heavy rains in February 2022.
Madzebatela previously said the relocation is expected to be completed by the end of December 2023.
According to him, more than 500 households will be relocated to Leeuwfontein Extension 27 and they include the flood victims and beneficiaries from Eerste Fabrieke, Phomolong, Mamelodi Phase 1 and Mamelodi Extension 17 informal settlements.
Those accommodated in the community hall said they were disappointed that the relocation never started with them despite a previous government promise that they would be the first in the queue to be moved.
A victim Noko Mabotja said: “Our biggest worry is that no one has so far approached us to inform us about a date scheduled for our relocation.They are busy relocating other people who are living in their shacks while we have been staying here for two hours waiting to be moved. They have not said anything to us. We are actually in the dark about the whole relocation process.”
Many victims shared the sentiment, saying it was unfair that the government started relocating other people and overlooked those who have been staying inside the hall for almost two years.
Pretoria News