Rejuvenation is the ultimate goal of any redevelopment in Roodepoort, but no beautification is ever done without encountering the scars in its soil.
The Rand Leases Gold Mining Company built living quarters for miners in what is now Fleurhof during the industry’s 1940s heydays. Much of the red face-brick structure stills stands today, surrounded by modern five-storey apartments occupied by beneficiaries of the government’s private sector collaboration to provide adequate housing for underprivileged citizens.
The site is earmarked for the development of an educational facility but alternative accommodation has yet to be found for the almost 300 illegal occupiers of the old hostel. Among the residents are roughly 80 people who have been approved by the Department of Human Settlements for resettlement, and the rest are made up of South Africa’s unique blend of displaced people and undocumented migrants.
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Prince Nemakwelengwe is one the senior representatives of the approved housing recipients who are growing increasingly frustrated at the continued delays in their allocation. “Every month, they delay to next month and then again and again,” said Prince, referring to his dealings with administrators. Some recipients have been approved since 2016 and were central to protests back in mid 2020.
Calgro M3 is the company entrusted with the development and has already delivered several thousand successful units. “There are units available but these units do not have electricity, this being the reason for the meeting between CoJ, Province and the MEC to discuss options available to allocate units to rightful applicants,” said the construction giant’s CEO, Wikus Lategan.
Teams are ready to begin work to turn the site of the old hostel into an educational facility but Wikus outlines some of the challenges. “Previous allocations from the hostel have failed as attempts to partially allocate people as and when units are available caused a new influx of people. The plan must be to allocate all approved beneficiaries, remove illegal immigrants and secure the site,” he explained.
Questions have been sent to the Department of Human Settlements, but Prince and his committee have been told officials will visit the hostel on 17 February. In the meantime, he and fellow residents live in unsanitary conditions, sharing two 5 250 litre water tanks and five portable toilets between them. Dejected yet determined, Prince pleaded, “We just want to know when our people are moving?”
