Assistance pledge for residents of Vastrap

THE Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality plans to relocate thousands of families from the troubled Vastrap informal settlement – plagued by years of lack of services – to serviced areas.

This is primarily to end illegal electricity connections that run from Booysen Park to Vastrap, causing lengthy blackouts in Booysen Park.

Ward councillor Mbongeni Bungane said the Vastrap families were meant to have been relocated by now, but the human settlements directorate was delaying the process.

This followed a meeting two weeks ago between mayor Danny Jordaan and the Booysen Park community to discuss a long-term solution to their electricity woes.

“The executive director was instructed at that meeting to action the relocation, but it seems he is not ready. Officials came to fix the sub-station and electricity was restored,” Bungane said. But within two days there was again tampering at the sub-station.

On Wednesday night last week, during a community meeting, there was no electricity in the whole of Vastrap and Auburn Street in Booysen Park.

“Shacks do not have electricity.

“That is the reason why the community living in the settlement assume they can tamper and connect electricity illegally. The only solution to the problem is to relocate them to other serviced sites,” Bungane said.

He said the metro planned to relocate the residents to three different serviced sites in his ward.

“We have about 8 000 units in Khayamnandi and 1 060 in Chatty and these sites are serviced.

“The residents will dismantle their material and we will assist them if they need more material to build their shacks there,” Bungane said.

Municipal spokesman Mthubanzi Mniki said the municipality was not sure when it would relocate Vastrap residents.

“We do not have a definite date; however some of the qualifying residents will be moved.

“Through the councillor’s office and the human settlements directorate, interactions have been made with them,” Mniki said.

A Vastrap resident, Nomfundo Nqabisa, speaking at the meeting, said families were tired of empty promises from the municipality.

“You have been saying we will be relocated for years now. Nothing happens. How long is it going to take for you to move us?

“If you can go there now the shacks are flooded. How can you expect us to live in such conditions with small children?” Nqabisa asked.

Mniki said the municipality agreed that relocating Vastrap residents would end the continued illegal connections in the area.

“What councillor Bungane is saying is the sentiment of the municipality as he is a ward councillor deployed to lead in that area.

“He is an integral part of the municipality’s plans for the people of Vastrap,” Mniki said.

‘ How can you expect us to live in such conditions with small children