Phase 2 of relocation of Mams flood victims set for November

The Phase 2 relocation process for the Mamelodi flood victims will commence around November, according to the metro.

Tshwane said it was still busy clearing and rehabilitating the identified relocation sites.

However, it said those flood victims whose shacks were in good condition, including those with no roofs, should go back to their shacks.

This follows after the metro undertook the verification of flood victims who are currently being accommodated at Nellmapius Community Hall since February 2022.

Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said according to the city’s records, 60 beneficiaries are being accommodated at the community hall.

The flood victims are from Youth View, Mavuso, and Willow Farm informal settlements.

He said most people who have been staying at the hall are not necessarily destitute but want to exploit an opportunity for them to be prioritised during the relocation process.

“The verification process started after councillors informed the flood victims who are currently accommodated in the community hall about the complaints raised by residents of Nellmapius who want to utilise it for matric exams,” said Mashigo.

He said the city desires to have them relocated to their respective areas so the hall can be available for use by the community.

The councillors also invited relevant informal settlement leadership where the flood victims are affected.

He said during the verification process, the city’s officials, together with councillors and the community leadership, discovered that the people who are staying at the hall are from the mentioned informal settlements.

However, most of the shacks are still in good condition, and only a few shacks were flooded during the February incident.

The outcome of the verification process was that out of 60 flood victims staying at the community hall, 13 of their shacks were flooded, three shacks are still without roofs, and 44 shacks are still in good condition.

“The same report was communicated to affected councillors and representatives, as well as the flood victims,” he said.

He also said the city resolved that all the beneficiaries whose shacks are confirmed to be in good condition must go back to their shacks, and the city will only help with building materials for the 10 victims to rebuild their shacks.

The city is currently considering the application for the eviction order to evict everyone from the community hall.

When Rekord visited the displaced flood victims at Nellmapius Hall, they voiced their concerns, claiming they were homeless and still waiting for relocation.

They claimed they were told to go back to the floodlines where they nearly lost their lives, and they were not prepared to go back.

The place still haunts them, as they narrowly escaped death and pleaded with the government to relocate them somewhere else safe because the conditions they are living in are unbearable, especially for those who have children.

Mashigo added that the metro has so far relocated 579 beneficiaries from Eerste Fabriek, Phomolong, Mamelodi Phase 1, Mamelodi Ext 17, and Pienaarspoort informal settlement to Leeuwfontein Ext 27 from November 2023 to March 2024.

“Phase 2 of relocation will commence around November, as the city will be clearing and rehabilitating the identified sites,” he said.

The remaining flood victims from different informal settlements will be relocated in November.

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