Diepsloot residents not moving
2009-07-07 07:28
Johannesburg - There were no plans to relocate Diepsloot residents to Brits and the city was working to upgrade the sewerage system in the area, the City of Johannesburg said on Monday.
Spokesperson Nthatisi Modingoane said the protest was believed to have been sparked by an alleged Council decision to relocate locals to Brits.
"The City of Johannesburg wishes to assure Diepsloot residents that there are no immediate or future plans to relocate them to Brits," he said, after residents stoned cars and damaged council property on Sunday and Monday morning.
According to the ward councillor of the area, an announcement was made at a meeting held on Saturday and Sunday that residents were going to be relocated to an area in Brits, Modingoane said.
Correct information
He said that the correct information was contained in the "Integrated Development Plans" for the area which included a City plan to upgrade the sewer system in Diepsloot, Extension 1.
"The challenge faced is that there are about 320 shacks built on top of the sewer system.
"An area has been identified and cleared in Diepsloot, Extension 12 for relocation of the 320 families," he said.
The City of Johannesburg engaged with all stakeholders in the area on the development plans for Diepsloot, Modingoane maintained, and a general public meeting was planned for Sunday to update the community about the project.
Eight people arrested
"Continued dialogue is the only solution and residents are urged to liaise with local councillors and members of the ward committee whenever they have legitimate concerns," he said.
Eight people were arrested for public violence after Sunday night's housing protest by hundreds of residents.
Reports said roads were barricaded with burning tyres and furniture, large rocks were placed on the streets and protesters stoned cars. Shops in the area were looted.
Protesters were dissatisfied over the allocation of houses and the fact that some of the shack dwellers were being moved to an informal settlement in Brits, north west of Pretoria.
- SAPA