Mixed reaction to relocation promise
WHILE most residents of Santa Centre are positive that the relocation of roughly half the households in the community will begin in two weeks time, questions over where exactly the affected families will be going remain unanswered.
At a meeting between the community and the Sol Plaatje Municipality on Friday, residents were given a breakdown of what still needs to take place in the next two weeks but were also offered the assurance by the executive mayor, Mangaliso Matika, that the first household will move on Monday, April 10.
“I have been living in Santa for 28 years,” said Elize Sidumo. “I have been in my current shack for 13 years. In all this time, we have been sitting with many problems … so I am very happy that the relocation process is finally going to start.”
At her home yesterday afternoon, Sidumo added that while she was looking forward to the relocation, she remained somewhat concerned about the uncertainty of where exactly she will be moved to.
“I believe that the relocation is going to happen but I really hope that I am allocated a nice place,” she said. “Hopefully I will find out soon where I will be moving.”
“I was at the meeting on Friday and I believe that they are going to follow through this time,” commented another resident. “We just hope that Matika keeps all his promises, including who is given preference and who gets to relocate first.”
Zenith Ahvew agreed, adding that she was thrilled with the latest developments.
“I’m very happy because it feels as if we are making progress,” she said. “For now, we still don’t know who is going where but Matika said that we would know soon.”
However, other residents were slightly less optimistic, with several adopting a “seeing is believing” approach.
A concerned resident, Elton Ross, is among those who has been waiting for nearly two decades for action to be taken and said yesterday that history had left him sceptical that the relocation process would begin any time soon.
“I have been living here for 16 years and have heard it all before,” he said. “I wasn’t at the meeting on Friday, when the community was told about the way forward, but I cannot see it happening in two weeks. We are just being fed more empty promises.”
Ross pointed out that the community had also been assured that service delivery and sanitation would be addressed, on numerous occasions, with little actual action taking place.
“Our buckets are still being emptied when they feel like it. At this stage, that is only about once a week. It’s not enough. It’s absolutely disgusting and we have to live with it.”
“I won’t believe a word of it until I am living on my new plot,” added another resident.
“All they are doing is telling the people what they want to hear. There are still going to be many excuses and arguments before anything good happens.”