Metro renews promises of permanent serviced stands
The metro has stressed that residents will benefit from the service stands programme that is being implemented at Balmoral Extension Four.
The municipality has again undertaken to move residents of the newly-established informal settlement located opposite Delmore Gardens to permanent stands.
In response to the recent fierce service delivery protest which saw residents of the area blockading the road while demanding betters services, the metro spokesperson Themba Gadebe said the community in question form part of the communities that will benefit in the service stands programme that is being implemented at Balmoral Extension Four.
“It is anticipated that the first group of qualifying beneficiaries will be relocated to the serviced stands in the financial year 2018/2019 and onwards,” said Gadebe.
Gadebe said the people living in the piece of land, known as Driefontein, were moved to the area from their previous stands in Ulana Informal Settlement, because their homes were severely affected by the hailstorm or floods that took place in December 2015 and 2016.
“The relocation of this community was informed by a need to ensure their safety and security by moving them to a habitable environment.”
The resident claims the metro promised them better living conditions and serviced stands.
“When we were moved from our previous homes, built on dangerous ground, to this place last year (2017), the MMC said we would only be kept in these temporary accommodations for a period of about three to six months, while they are looking for a piece of land to develop and settle us permanently.
“On top of that, they also promised that in the short term they will put Apollos (high-mast lights) to improve lighting in the area. But it’s now more than a year since they dumped us here and none of their promises has been fulfilled,” said one of the community leaders Chris Mathebula.
According to Mathebula, the community leaders recently held several meetings with authorities and asked them to deliver on the promises that were made to the people, but their efforts proved completely unsuccessful in this respect.
They then took to the streets to protest against what they say is slow service delivery in their community, on Tuesday morning (May 22), blockading Commissioner Street and the road leading to Delmore Gardens with rocks, tree branches, timber and burning tyres. @MthuphaFanie
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