Residents of the infamous Organic Market informal settlement in Bramley View Ext 120 will remain at the settlement until the City of Johannesburg finds suitable land for residents to be relocated.
This according to Ward 81 councillor Irene Rugheimer, who responded to North Eastern Tribune questions on 21 April.
Residents of Bramley View held a series of meetings with the City, with Rugheimer in attendance, and demanded that those from the informal settlement be moved.
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They claim that the informal settlement depreciates property values, imposes a threat to the environment with the pungent smell coming from their toilets and invites crime in their area.
The meeting was chaired by the City’s regional director, Liziwe Makoro who then explained the reasons for relocating residents.
Makoro said that the residents were brought to the informal settlement because they were evicted from a private building and subsequently the court ordered the City to house them.
Rugheimer said, “Unfortunately the Organic Market occupants cannot be removed until such time as the City acquires land to place all displaced people.
“In Ward 81, we have about 4 000 displaced people and the only land we have available currently in this ward is the property which is known as the Organic Market. The City is working on a plan to house displaced people but this will take time.”
During the meeting, Mokoro told the residents of Bramley View that the only resolution that the City has taken is decongesting the settlement.
However, Rugheimer said the process had not yet started adding that it would start shortly.
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Another concern was that of the smell which comes from the toilets at the settlement, which residents said it was unbearable.
“The smell, unfortunately, comes from the lack of toilets and service to remove the rubbish on the property. This will be solved by putting in VIP toilets and more skips which will be cleaned out more regularly,’ she said.
“The conditions that people at the Organic Market informal settlement live in leaves much to be desired and therefore there are reasons to upgrade the living conditions of this community,” concluded Rugheimer.
Edited by Stacey Woensdregt
