Mamelodi flood victims say they’ll find their own land if city doesn’t act fast

Mamelodi flood victims have threatened to allocate themselves land if the city doesn’t immediately act on reallocating them in the area.

This is after the City of Tshwane announced on Monday that they had secured city-owned land in the Orchards area to relocate about 300 residents from Gomora, Malusi Ext 1 and 2, and the newly established Booysens Ext 4, who were affected by recent floods, as well as for others in need.

“Our problem today is that they have reallocated Gomora, which was not priority. It’s the first time that Gomora was affected by floods — we have been affected by floods three times. In our places more than 50 shacks have been destroyed, our people don’t have shacks, they are sleeping in community halls,” said David Scholtz, one of the community leaders of squatter camp communities affected in Mamelodi.

Earlier this month, more than 800 families were hit by floods in Tshwane. Flooding affected households in Eersterust, Mamelodi (informal settlements), Gomora in Pretoria west, Soshanguve Block KK, Onverwacht in Cullinan, Hammanskraal and Marikana in Centurion.

In response to this, the city set up temporary shelters at the Nellmapius and Mamelodi west halls in Mamelodi, Sebothoma hall in Hammanskraal and Transoranje school for the deaf in Pretoria west.

The affected community members marched to Tshwane on Wednesday to submit a memorandum with their grievances.

“We are here to say if they don’t reallocate us immediately we are going to reallocate ourselves.

“We are here today with empty promises from the MMC for human settlement and the City of Tshwane. Since they dumped us in 2019, our families have been in disaster. Our children can’t even go to school because of empty promises. Every time we come here with marches we hear that the City of Tshwane doesn’t have money,” Scholtz said.

He added: “We had a final draft proposal resettlement plan for identified Mamelodi informal settlements that we all agreed that it must be implemented by the city, so we are done with all stories of clearing of the site, the appointment of contractors. What we need now from the city is only chemical toilets and water to be placed at the proposed Pienaarspoort extensions 15, 16, 22 and 23 as per the city final draft relocation plan.”

The city’s MMC for human settlements, Abel Tau, had told Sunday Times Daily that his department was working to find a lasting solution for the flood victims.

Giving an update on the relocation progress of flood victims from regions 5 and 6, Tau said: “The city successfully acquired portion 20, 364 and 415 of a farm in Mooiplaas for this purpose.

“During Phase 1 and 2A of the relocation, about 610 beneficiaries from Eerste Fabrieke (Mamelodi west Baptist Church), Riverside (Stanza Bopape Community Hall) Mavuso (Nellmapius Community Hall), Mamelodi Ext 11, Transit Camp 1 and 2, and K54 were relocated to the said portions in Mooiplaas. Phase 2B of the relocation is subject to finalisation of the processes to acquire suitable land parcels,” he said.

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