30 August 2024
Mamelodi flood victim Elizabeth Mabunda is among a group of families who were relocated by the City of Tshwane to vacant state-owned land in Mamelodi’s Nellmapius Extension 4 township. But local residents from the area are not happy and are demanding that the City removes them. Photos: Warren Mabona
Scores of 2023 flood victims who have been relocated to land in Mamelodi’s Nellmapius Extension 4 earlier this month say they are living in fear of residents in the surrounding community.
Tension has been high in the community since the group was moved by the City of Tshwane to the state-owned land. Residents, who live in houses and some from surrounding informal settlements, started protesting and threatening the flood victims as they were brought into the area to erect their structures on the land from 16 August.
Meanwhile, flood victims say they have been waiting over a year for the City to fulfil its promise to relocate them from shacks which were badly damaged by flooding in 2022 and again in 2023. Some of the flood victims had been living in a community hall since the 2022 floods.
In September last year, the City told GroundUp that a budget of R369-million had been set aside for the servicing as well as the relocation of informal settlements, particularly severely flood-prone ones.
On 15 and 16 August this year, the City finally started relocating some flood victims and their belongings to vacant land in Ext 4.
As the City’s trucks came into the area, a group of people were already gathering near the land where the flood victims were to erect their structures.
A group of about 20 men and women surrounded ward councillor, Joyce Siyelane, and hurled insults at her. They demanded land, houses and jobs from the City. The residents also accused Siyelane of not consulting them before relocating the flood victims to the community. Two armed police officers monitored the situation.
Resident Dipuo Maputla said, “This is our land. We want to build homes on it. The councillor cannot bring people here without consulting us first. These people must go now.”
Another resident, Jimmy Manana shouted, calling on the City to develop the land for RDP houses rather than bringing more shacks into the area.
“We will destroy the shacks of these people if the City does not move them after three months,” shouted Manana.
Residents protesting the relocation of flood victims into their community on 16 August.
On 25 August, the flood victims living on the Ext 4 land told GroundUp the situation remains hostile and tense. They say many residents of Nellmapius Ext 4 have told them that they do not want them to live in their area. They claim that the surrounding residents have threatened to destroy their shacks if they do not vacate the land after three months.
“I stay with my son in my shack, but I am always scared,” said 66-year-old flood victim Elizabeth Mabunda. “I was happy when we were moved and brought here. But I can’t stop worrying about our safety. I often ask myself whether some of those people will attack us in our homes at night. What will happen to us if the municipality does not move us to another land after three months?”
Mabunda said she lived in the cold community hall after the floods destroyed her shack in Willow Farm informal settlement in 2022.
Speaking to GroundUp, ward councillor Siyelane insisted that she had informed the residents of Nellmapius Ext 4 in advance that the City would relocate flood victims to their area. “We brought 35 beneficiaries here,” said Siyelane.
Spokesperson for the City Lindela Mashigo said, “Material [for erecting shacks] was only provided to tem individuals whose shacks were wholly flooded. The other beneficiaries used their own material.”
Asked about the threats made by residents, Mashingo said that the security cluster was monitoring the area very closely to ensure the safety of flood victims and to prevent other people from occupying the land.
According to Mashigo, the City has acquired Pienaarspoort Ext 16, 23, 24 and 25 where it will relocate the flood victims permanently. He said this relocation will start in November this year. He said the process of acquiring and preparing land for permanent relocation took longer than anticipated.
Mashigo said the City has installed a 5000-litre water tank and allocated four chemical toilets to flood victims in Nellmapius Ext 4. He said the toilets would be serviced twice a week.