Councillor wants residents moved from flood-prone land at state expense

Relocation to alternative land may be the best solution for flood-risk areas in Soshanguve south, a local ward councillor has said.

Following flash floods that left many residents stranded last weekend, Pretoria North Rekord reports that councillor for ward 32 Floyd Thema said the only solution would be to move the residents to alternative land before someone died as a result of the floods.

READ MORE: Chaos as flooding overwhelms parts of Gauteng

Thema said he had written to the department of human settlements numerous times asking for intervention in providing alternative land to the residents of extensions 10, 12, 13 and 14 who have built shacks on a wetland.

“I have written several letters to the department of human settlement but they have not been forthcoming in terms of the resources,” Thema said on Tuesday after assessing some of the affected areas.

Describing the flooding and the impact on Soshanguve south as “crisis level”, Thema said Tshwane’s MMC for human settlements, Mandla Nkomo, should not fold his arms and watch when people suffer.

“I am meeting the MMC this afternoon (Tuesday). The issue of finding alternative land for the residents and their relocation will be discussed,” said Thema.

He explained that when homes became flooded, some residents refused to be temporarily evacuated on Saturday, saying they would use buckets to clear water from their flooded shacks.

The spokesperson for Tshwane emergency services, Johan Pieterse, said it was difficult to evacuate some residents because they were concerned about their belongings.

He said areas like Soshanguve were particularly problematic because of the soil composition.

“The water is going nowhere. We try our best to channel that water into different areas and directions. We even got front-end loaders and graders to assist with the trenches so the water can move, but the ground was too saturated, making the water stand still,” Pieterse said.

A resident of extension 10, Alice Mavhimbela, said it was difficult to walk around the area when it rained. Residents had to cover their shoes with plastic bags to be able to walk in the mud.

“It is very surprising that extension 10, 12 and 13 were established more than 10 years ago but have not been developed like extension 6 where people have good RDP houses, tarred roads and water. But here nothing is happening,” she said.

Saturday’s rain forced several residents of extension 13 to leave their cars along the M17 highway out of fear they would get stuck in the mud.

Chaos as flooding overwhelms parts of Gauteng

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