The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) questions the Tshwane Metro’s Department of Human Settlements’ decision to relocate yet another 5 200 people to a piece of land in Pienaarspoort that was allocated to 575 flood victims of Mamelodi in 2020.
Relocating the flood victims had cost the Metro a whopping R286 million.
Subsequently, the Metro relocated an additional 811 people living in transitional camps to the Pienaarspoort housing development project without prior approval.
The Department of Human Settlements now plans to relocate a further 5 200 people from informal settlements to the same site.
The Metro’s relevant oversight committee indicated in a report that the resettlement will have no further financial implications for the Metro.
In the Freedom Front Plus’s view, the claim is false as infrastructure needs to be provided to the additional residents.
This will significantly increase costs while no provision has been made for this in the Metro’s budget for the 2025/26 financial year.
The Freedom Front Plus made the following recommendations:
• A thorough audit needs to be conducted so that those who were not affected by the flood are not relocated using the earmarked funds.
• The funds should be used exclusively for the 575 flood victims and not for all 6 011 people as indicated in the report.
• The Department of Human Settlements’ oversight committee should present a comprehensive budget to the Council, as the current report lacks transparency.
The Pienaarspoort development was originally intended to restore the dignity of Tshwane’s most vulnerable residents. Currently, though, thousands of residents from illegal informal settlements are being relocated while there may not be sufficient space or funding to manage the project successfully.
The current infrastructure cannot accommodate so many people.
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