Municipality says why they have to relocate Mamojela residents

The relocation of the approxi­mately 3000 residents of Mamojela park to a three hectare open field next to the Grootfontein smallholdings is only a temporary, says the Lephalale municipality.

The municipality’s decision to relocate the group of people was met with mixed reactions from residents who might be affected by the move. While most people agreed that the current living conditions at Mamojela Park is unaccept­able there were questions about the municipal­ity’s ability to provide proper basic services to the people once they are relocated. “There are plans with regards to waste management and infra­structure services (in terms of electricity, existing solar light will be used). The temporary identified area has a layout which will allow for internal service connection,” reads a press release from the municipality’s communication manager, Conscious Chiloane.

According to the municipality the decision for the relocation was based on an enumeration and socio economic survey study conducted in 2012 by the Housing Development Agency (HAD) and was also supported by a report on the floods in 2014. “A public participation meeting was held with the affected residents on 14 Jully 2016 at the Department of Public Works’ lapa,” reads the statement.

It is unclear what happened to plans to for­malise Mamojela Park as claimed by the previous municipal manager (MM), Bob Naidoo, in an in­terview with Northern News (Mamojela Park still without service; 8 August 2013).

At the time (in 2013), Naidoo said they ap­plied to the department of Cooperative Gover­nance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs (CoGHSTA) for formalisation and as soon as CoGHSTA gave the go-ahead they would begin spatial planning which would mean that the people living there would receive basic municipal services.