Resident Molly Ndlovu says they have been in this area since 2007, coming from Angelo, Makausi Extension Five, Germiston and the Tembisa informal settlements.
“We were removed as the country was preparing for the Soccer World Cup and were told we would only be here for only three months, then they would build houses for us and split us up, but seven years later we are still stuck here.
“In one yard you still find three families sharing one toilet, some people don’t have even having flushing toilets, others have to share a tap while others have no water at all and we have no lights.
“On top of that dust is a problem and we live near a sewage farm which has an unbearable smell that we have to cope with daily,” she says.
She adds that they have visited various departments but were sent from pillar to post.
The residents add that government officials come to count them in the area, but there is never any progress, and to add to the list of grievances they claim crime is high and older women in the area are raped.
Two solar Apollo lights were also installed in April but this didn’t help as they still have not worked.
And when someone is sick, the locals say they must be loaded onto a wheelbarrow or carried to the main entrance or grounds since they are told ambulances can’t get into their area as they have no street names and the area is dark.
“What is also disturbing is that most of us don’t get along as there are three families in one yard, hence they must separate us as eight years is too much.
“Recently one man was beaten up by people he shares a yard with after he complained as one of the person he shares a yard with poured dirty water near his door,” says Anna Matlala.
Residents also state that when they use paraffin stoves and one shack burns, the others also catch fire quickly as they are so close together.
A 80-year-old gogo who has been attacked and raped in her home says she fears for her life, but says when social workers offered help to move her, she was told she would move to other shacks so she refused as she doesn’t know the people there and feared she would be victimised.
“It doesn’t seem like there is any plan or land that is available for us yet there are RDP houses being built in Extension 22, and we hear rumours that there are people from our section who have paid for them.
“People say that the councillor made relevant forms for them and they have bought the houses for R7 000 to R10 000.
“We are not sure on how true this is, so we want answers,” says one resident.
Metro spokesperson, Themba Gadebe says the areas these people were occupying prior to their relocation to Tsakane Extension 10 were unsafe for human occupation and as such they had to be relocated.
“It is the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality’s intention to ensure that the other two families are relocated to an alternative site so that a single household occupies a single residential stand, and such land has been identified.
“When the families were relocated from Germiston, they were allocated three families per stand due to a shortage of land.
“The families will be relocated to the portion of land identified,” he says.
He adds that it is expected that the development will yield a total of 10 000 residential units with various typologies and tenure options complemented by other supporting uses.
And the land for the development is owned by the Ekurhuleni Metro.
“Upon completion of the planning process, the installation of essential services can be embarked upon and this is projected to take place over a period of two years, that is from the 2016/17 and 2017/18 financial years.
“After that house construction can commence upon completion of services installation; that is from the 2017/18 financial year,” says Gadebe.
Despite numerous attempts to contact the ward councillor of ward 86, Clr Phindile Mbonani, by the time of printing the article she still could not be reached for comment.
