Pretoria - Flood victim Olga Chauke calls the Nellmapius Community Hall home these days and doesn’t know what the future holds.
The mother of four said: “The City of Tshwane promised to move us from here in December 2021. They changed that date to October last year. Now they have changed it again to April this year after they had vowed to relocate us this month.
“We have lost hope. We can’t even wash here, because there is no privacy,” she said.
Chauke added that late last year she had decided to take her children and move back to Willow Park, because they had not received any help from government.
However, she had to return to the community hall this year after the heavy rains which caused more floods.
“We don’t know where we stand because the government keeps breaking promises. No government officials come here,” Chauke said.
The hall is scattered with mattresses and houses many families.
“It also serves as a bathroom, kitchen and a bedroom.
Community leader Moses Mboweni bemoaned the government’s promises, saying they have had enough.
“We’re only looking for land. All they have to do is to make available safe land that we can move to.
“Here there are pregnant women and children that need privacy, but they don’t seem to care,” he said.
He added that the municipality had initially promised that it had secured land at Mooiplaas to where they would be relocated.
However, that hadn’t happened and the government had since made a U-turn and said they would be moving them to somewhere else.
“We don’t even know where we will be going. Anywhere is fine; we just need land,” Mboweni said.
Others blamed the situation on the political instability at the City of Tshwane, where Dr Murunwa Makwarela was elected mayor this week following the resignation of Randall Williams.
The residents were relocated to a community hall with their families in February 2001, after their dwellings were washed away by a raging rain storm.
About 150 residents from Mountain View, Mavuso and Willow Farm informal settlements have been waiting to be relocated since April last year.
In February 2022, the river overflowed and heavy rains washed away their homes.
This prompted the government to find a place for them to stay.
Responding to questions from Pretoria News, City of Tshwane spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said the metro was still engaging with the provincial Department of Human Settlement and National Treasury with regard to relocation.
“The feedback was provided to councillors, and the City is inclined to believe they communicated the message to the affected residents.
“The City will make an announcement as soon as all outstanding issues are resolved,” Mashigo added.
Pretoria News