Pretoria - Former DA regional chairperson and City of Tshwane MMC Abel Tau has accused the metro of questionable practices in relation to the relocation process of Mamelodi flood victims.
Tau, an erstwhile acting mayor, said the City had until today to provide satisfactory responses to concerns around relocations. He also admitted to a disgruntled group from Mamelodi that he too was forced to lie to people when people protested.
Tau, now a member of The People’s Dialogue, formed by former Joburg mayor Herman Mashaba, joined the flood victims and residents of informal settlements who marched to Mamelodi West municipal offices to voice their dissatisfaction late on Friday.
The protesters handed over a memorandum detailing their grievances regarding the relocation process of informal settlements.
Tau said: “I have taken a decision to leave these offices (municipal offices) because they force you to lie and undermine the progress of our people.
“I have taken a decision to join The People’s Dialogue because all these political parties have failed us. It’s about time we take our power back as communities,” he told protesters.
He warned the City that it had three days to respond to the memorandum or deal with the “new kid on the block”, The People’s Dialogue.
“They have three days to make sure they give you tangible answers, if they don’t, they will deal with us; and we are not going to be on their side, we will be on your side as we’ve always been.”
The long-awaited relocation of Mamelodi flood victims to new land has reportedly been put on hold after a complaint about the process. The move was suspended two days after it started.
Protesters from various informal settlements said they wanted their community leaders to be included in the verification process for beneficiaries, and everyone involved in the alleged manipulation of the list of beneficiaries to be arrested.
They claim that corrupt officials were moving their own people, who included foreign nationals, instead of the rightful beneficiaries.
The City bought land in Lethabong informal settlement in Mooiplaats to relocate the displaced residents to. Their Eerste Fabrieke homes were wiped away by flash floods in December.
December Matlala, a representative of the displaced people, said the relocation process started on July 9 and was halted two days later. “The flood victims were happy after waiting almost seven months to be relocated, but it was delayed following allegations of an unlawful verification process by Tshwane officials and the Mamelodi West Baptist Church pastor (Thembelani Jentile).”
The people were accommodated at the church after the disaster.
Matlala said that among other things, they demanded to know the scope of work and the exact time and date of the relocation resumption of phase two, and the exact measurement of the stands, as stated, to be provided.
He said they were in talks with the public protector’s office and the South African Human Rights Commission.
Jentile denied all the allegations. “I really have no interest in pushing my agenda with the relocation process. The church did all it could do to help the displaced victims.
“These allegations are simply brought against me so the representatives can get all the credit for giving victims a new place to stay.”
He would be taking legal action.
City spokesperson Lindela Mashigo dismissed the allegations as fabrications. The City’s Human Settlements Department had conducted an investigation and found nothing untoward.
“The process was transparent, and the committee members of the Eerste Fabrieke residents were also part of the proceedings and feedback was provided to them,” said Mashigo. He said the relocation process has not stopped; the labour unrest in the City at the time had hindered the process.
Pretoria News