Pretoria - Traffic in the Pretoria CBD was badly affected today as Mamelodi flood victims marched from Church Square to Tshwane House.
Victims were left stranded after their shacks, built on the river bank, in Eerste Fabrieke informal settlement were swept away by raging floods in December.
They have since been accommodated at the Mamelodi West Baptist Church, which was supposed to be a temporary shelter.
Protesters said they took to the street after numerous promises made by government to relocate them didn't materialise.
They marched to Tshwane House to submit a memorandum of grievances to the municipality.
Protesters from Eerste Fabrieke informal settlement in Mamelodi march to Tshwane House. Video: Rapula Moatshe
Their march was staged on the back of failed threats to protest during the State of the Province address at Sefako Makgatho Health Science University last Thursday.
Traffic at various intersections on Madiba Street and others close by was affected.
Leader of the group Vikson Mabunda said marchers were disappointed after government representatives who included Premier David Makhura and minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma made empty promises to relocate them.
He said they have run out of patience after waiting for a long time for government promises to materialise.
He said other promises were made by former Tshwane's Human Settlements MMC Sello Maimane, who allegedly told them they would be relocated from the first week of March.
Mabunda said residents were worried that the process which should include consultation with them had not taken place.
"We are sick and tired of this municipality.
"We don't have paperwork to prove what was said to us that will help us to hold people accountable," he said.
He said protesters wanted the assistance of government because they didn't have money to buy land.
"We submit this memorandum and we give the metro seven days to respond to our issues.
"We are tired of these empty promises," he said.
The memorandum was submitted to Tshwane council chief whip Christo van den Heever, who promised to deliver it to the acting city manager Makgorometje Makgatha.