Kwezi Flats, which houses about 18 families, have residents concerned about their imminent relocation by the department of human settlements officials to Fleurhof Flats this year.
Community leader Bheki Kubheka said they were informed by the officials that they would be relocated to Fleurhof flats this year.
He said, “We are concerned that we will be relocated to a place which is far away from our families.
“Most of us grew up in these flats which have been our homes for decades. The biggest concern we have is that the Fleurhof flats are much smaller compared to Kwezi.
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Another resident, Sesana Mabusa said that it doesn’t make sense to be relocated from one flat to another. She said it would be better if they were being moved to RDP houses instead of flats.
“The issue of easy access to the public transport system is a major concern. It will be very difficult for some of the residents to walk miles away before they can access transportation to their different destinations,” said Mabusa.
Kwezi Flats residents have, over the years, enjoyed easy access to the public transport system which is on their doorstep.
Taxis, buses and trains, which are the most cost-effective modes of transport, are available less than 100 hundred meters from their homes.
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According to the residents, they have been told by the Department of Human Settlements that they should make arrangement among themselves about who stays and who will be moved from the area.
One family will give up their two rooms flat to another family and then their two rooms would be added to the other two rooms.
Then the flats would be transformed into four rooms accommodations. Despite the genuine concerns highlighted by residents, the renovation of the flats is necessary to save lives and to give the place a much-needed facelift.
The staircases at the flats are shaky, which puts the lives of residents and children at risk.
Housing Section 79 Chairperson Committee Member, councillor Suzanne Clarke said that they were not aware of the allocation of Kwezi Flat residents.
“We acknowledged that only 15 people would be allocated to Fleurhof flats per ward, including Ward 47 who qualifies. We are looking for applicants from ’96 to ’97, who are South Africans and have a valid South African Identity Document,” said Clarke.
