The Ekurhuleni Metro recently identified the vacant piece of land on both sides of Commissioner Street in Delmore Gardens as a suitable site for the establishment of a temporarl settlement for the Ulana informal settlement flood victims.
The decision, however, didn’t go down very well with residents of Delmore Gardens, who fear that the move will devalue their properties.
Both the Ward 33 councillor Ashley Hoods and residents said the construction of shacks, which is already underway to the south and north of Commissioner Street, took them completely by surprise.
According to them, they were not consulted about the plan.
One of the community leaders, Samantha Lambert, along with residents of Delmore Gardens and supported by residents of Driefontein informal settlement, then embarked on a protest against the project in Commissioner Street.
They blockaded the road with burning tyres, stones, tree branches and other objects, demanding that the municipality call a halt to the construction.
The EMPD, including the K9 unit, and the SAPS responded to the protest and temporarily closed the stretch of road in both directions.
The EMPD’s precinct Commander Lieut Col Barnard addressed the protesters, who requested to hand in a letter of demands to MMC Lesiba Mpya.
Mpya subsequently arrived at the scene and addressed the angry crowd.
Watched by a large contingent of heavily armed EMPD police officers, residents handed over their memorandum to the MMC.
The protesters peacefully dispersed after the handing over of the memorandum, while cleaning of the street by the Roads Department workers got underway.
Mpya promised to respond to the residents’ demands during a public meeting that is due to be held at the Apostle Church on Du Preez Street on Saturday, January 28, at 10am.
Lambert said both parties will negotiate a way out of the impasse at the meeting.
According to Hoods, the municipality apparently did not follow the correct procedure, which requires consultation with communities already in existence next to the proposed new developments.
EMPD spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Kobeli Mokheseng said no casualties were reported during the toyi-toyi and no arrests were made.
The road was re-opened to traffic at about 1pm.
One of the Ulana informal settlement community leaders, Ayanda Magcai, said the flood victims’ relocation process is now in danger of being delayed due to the protest, adding that he fails to understand why the residents are uneasy about the flood victims taking up residence down the road.
“What is their problem if the government decided to place the flood victims here, on government-owned land? This will only be a temporary settlement,” said Magcai.
