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- On 9 December 2019, floods destroyed more than 700 shacks, displacing over 1 300 people who called Eerste Fabriek informal settlement in Mamelodi home.
- Nine months later, the flood victims are demanding that they be relocated immediately.
- The City of Tshwane, however, said the first phase of relocations were already underway.
Mamelodi flood victims who lost their homes in December 2019, have demanded to be relocated immediately as fears grow of another flood as the summer rains draw closer.
On 9 December 2019, floods destroyed more than 700 shacks, displacing over 1 300 people who called Eerste Fabriek informal settlement in Mamelodi home.
Eerste Fabriek was built along the banks of a river that flows through Mamelodi. The danger of flooding had always been present as shacks in the informal settlement were built along the flood plain.
WATCH | At least 700 shacks destroyed by floods in Mamelodi informal settlement
During the floods, other parts of Pretoria were also affected and residents from Hammanskraal, Centurion and Winterveld also had their homes swept away.
Nine months after the floods, victims marched to the municipal offices in Mamelodi demanding that they immediately be relocated.
One of the leaders, Lawrence Phora told News24 that their issues were simple and that they only wanted what was promised to them.
READ | Gauteng floods: Two bags of clothes and birth certificates is all one family could salvage
However, with summer quickly approaching and the worry of further floods on their minds, the victims want the resettlement to happen immediately.
Phora said: "We really need the City of Tshwane to relocate us from the danger zones because now the rain season is coming. We have families, there are elders and if these floods come again, we will see deaths."
Relocation
He added that the relocation process had been delayed on several occasions and that the flood victims had not been kept in the loop.
"There are no reasons as to why they are delaying the relocation, that is why we are here today."
Another community leader, Kgaugelo Masemola, said the land for the relocation had been bought and some of the flood victims had since been resettled, but claimed people not affected by the floods were relocated to the vacant land.
City spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said the first phase of relocations were underway, which involved the resettlement of victims who were being housed at the Mamelodi Baptist Church and Nelmapius Community Centre following the floods.
Mashigo added that 7.3 hectares of land was purchased in Mooiplats in Donkerhoek for the first phase of the relocations and that an adjacent plot had been purchased for the second phase.
READ | Mamelodi informal settlement residents hit by floods will be relocated - Makhura
Mashigo also denied claims that people who were not victims or living along flood plains had been resettled.
As for accusations about the relocations being delayed, Mashigo said: "We have clearly communicated with the leaders that we will inform them on the next phase of relocations and currently as the City Human Settlements, we are not ready for the second phase.
"We need to clear the site and the surveyor must peg the stands; we need to provide the rudimentary services in terms of chemical toilets, mobile water tankers - the budget for all the mentioned activities it is insufficient," Mashigo added.
The City said phase two of the relocations would include the entire Eerste Fabriek informal settlement in Mamelodi, not only the flood victims.
"We need to de-densify the old informal settlement."
Meetings
The City said they were supposed to have had a meeting with the leaders of Eerste Fabriek on Wednesday, but the meeting was not planned as they held a City official hostage.
Mashigo said when they arrived at Eerste Fabriek, no one arrived for the meeting, but instead residents from the Nkandla informal settlement started gathering and then officials left the area because when a meeting was previously held with Nkandla residents, they allegedly started burning City trucks and damaged the office.
"We felt we can't be safe in their presence," Mashigo said.
READ MORE | City of Tshwane to buy land to house Mamelodi flood victims
