Kapok, Hopefield communities ‘to be relocated’
The Kapok and Hopefield communities will be relocated to Kanana ext 6, human settlements MEC Paul Mashatile said.
|||Johannesburg - The Kapok and Hopefield communities will be relocated to Kanana ext 6, Gauteng co-operative governance and traditional affairs and human settlements MEC Paul Mashatile has announced.
Mashatile was part of a government delegation that visited Hopefield and Kapok, south of Johannesburg, on Friday, the Gauteng government said in a statement on Saturday.
Mashatile was accompanied premier David Makhura as part of the Ntirhisano programme, which was used by the Gauteng government to engage communities directly.
Speaking at the community meeting in Hopefield, Mashatile said that before building houses the department conducted an environment impact assessment (EIA) because it could not build houses where was not safe and habitable. The people of Kapok and Hopefield deserved houses and a better life, he said.
“When we discovered that there is a problem where you are situated we must find an alternative place that will be suitable for you. We have agreed with the premier that we will relocate people where there are services like water, electricity, sewerage system, and we will issue tittle deeds.
“The process of recording every member of the family in Hopefield and Kapok has started. A list will be developed that will consist of every member of a family. When we relocate you to proper houses we want you to know your stand number before the house is built and you will be able to visit your stand and monitor the progress,” Mashatile said.
As soon as the steering committee started work it would take community representatives to view the new land allocated to them.
“We will take everybody, no one will be left behind. We are mindful of the fact that other people will not qualify, but those who do not qualify will be given stands to build for themselves. We know that other people can build for themselves; what they need is land,” said Mashatile.
He was greeted by applause and ululations when he told the communities that they would be relocated to Kanana ext 6. Even though some community members rejected this, Mashatile told them this was not the final visit as he would continue to engage them.
“The steering committee that is consisting of Rand Water, department of housing officials, Johannesburg housing officials, Joburg water, Eskom, and City Power officials will meet and start packing the stands. We appeal to the community to ensure that the list does not increase because those people who will be allowed in because of the development will end up taking your stands,” he said.
“Once we are done in Kanana ext 6, your lives will never be the same… please allow us to take you to ext 6. There are schools, clinics there also.”
Earlier, Makhura asked the community to work with government. “To show that we are working together, we will do things that we must do and we know that there are things you can do for yourselves. We are committing ourselves as government to walk with you all the way,” he said.
Officials from Tshepo 500K and Jozi@Work would return on May 11 to register them on the programme, assess their skills, and see how they could be assisted. “We are also committing to return to you to discuss [the] geo tech report as to why land in Kapok and Hopefield is inhabitable.”
He also issued a stern warning to those who threatened violence and burning down the clinic that they would be arrested.
“We will resolve this in a peaceful manner, the people of Hopefield and Kapok want to resolve this peacefully and so does the government; we don’t want to over promise and not deliver. We will keep on communicating with you. I will set up another meeting where there will be MEC for human settlement, mayor of Johannesburg, myself, and the community of Hopefield only,” Makhura said.
– African News Agency