More than 200 families from the Kgotsong informal settlement in Bloemfontein, who were relocated to new sites after flooding, say the move is “bittersweet” because they lost their belongings. Heavy downpours damaged furniture and food.
Residents claim that the transport from Mangaung Metro that was meant to relocate them only managed to move a few lucky families.
Some residents have since dismantled their shacks, but are still waiting to be moved by a transport organised by the municipality.
72-year-old Selloane Hlalele has challenges moving her belongings to the new place, a wheelbarrow has been her mode of transport.
“I was born in 1949, I don’t have an ID and now I’m not receiving government grant. Even now I have nothing to eat, I depend on the child grant of my grandchild. It is difficult to put food on the table,” Hlalele says.
Frustration
The shack dwellers had to be moved due to a massive water pipe that posed a hazard, but some remain frustrated about how the process is going.
“What is happening here is wrong; we were told that there will be transport organised to take out belongings but that is not happening. They were supposed to come to us and find out what is happening,” says one resident.
“These municipal cars promised to assist us are not coming. We were stranded here while it was raining and had to organise transport from our money to take our things to the new location,” says another resident.
‘Happy to move’
Abram Rathebe lived in Kgotsong for 11 years. He says he is happy that he will finally have his own place.
“I am happy to be here even though some of my belongings were damaged in the process. The councillor does not care about us, but now because I am at my place, I’m happy.”
Municipality takes responsibility for the crisis
The Mangaung Metro Municipality has taken responsibility for the crisis. Mangaung Metro Municipality Spokesperson, Qondile Khedama, has apologised for what happened.
“Apologising for what happened. What we are trying to do is that those people who are not yet relocated, we are going to make sure that they get proper treatment. And that we adhere to our schedule because one of the things that caused a bit of interruption was non-adherence to the schedule. So we are trying our level best that those people that are not relocated, logistically we are a bit organised. And we will do things in line with what councillors are saying.”
There’s a total of 4 000 new sites in Phomolong. They will become the new homes of people from various parts of Mangaung, who have been pleading for sites.
