Latest news with #HumanSettlementsDepartment
The Citizen
15-07-2025
- The Citizen
Wolwespruit wetland secured, illegal squatters evicted
Relief has set in for residents of Erasmuskloof, Moreleta Park, Mooikloof and surrounding suburbs as the metro managed to finally relocate scores of squatters who have occupied the Wolwespruit wetland on the corner of Solomon Mahlangu Drive and Delmas Road. The squatters who for years made the wetland their home were resettled and removed from the property on July 13, according to Ward 83 councillor Andrew Lesch. The land where the camp was situated is within a flood line and not suited for human settlements, as there is a stream of water that runs through the area. It was illegally occupied by South African residents and foreign nationals from Lesotho and Zimbabwe, who have indicated that the area is convenient for waste sorting and close to their workplace. For years, the removal of the land invaders had involved a drawn-out legal process, with human rights lawyers blocking every attempt of the city and the residents to evict the squatters. Lesch said the occupation of the wetland has been a major source of concern for many years, but the number of people increased while efforts were made to evict them. 'For years, the community and business in this area suffered several power outages due to cable theft, increased crime, smoke pollution and pollution due to noise and illegal recycling,' he explained. He said some of the people in the informal settlement were involved in crime. 'We also experienced several cases of illegal dumping by people and even some local businesses. Previous attempts at eviction and/or resettlement were met by objections and court interdicts. Now I can confirm they have been resettled.' He said, however, there are still a few people camping outside the property on the corner of Nossob Street and Solomon Mahlangu Drive. 'The Human Settlements Department will be dealing with them as soon as possible,' he said. Lesch said over the past two years, he has put in a lot of effort and consulted with many departments and people to find a permanent solution, but also to reactivate the efforts of the Tshwane metro to finalise the resettlement. 'The process of removing the squatters has been coming for years, with multiple previous mayors involved in possible relocations.' Lesch added that the teams involved in the relocations have explored different options and tried different funding models to resolve the matter. 'Different departments of the City of Tshwane, community members and NPOs assisted. I could not always communicate what exactly was done because the information could be used to stall the efforts, as in the past,' he explained. 'The relocation was also important to ensure that the people who lived on the land were moved to a suitable environment. Our wetlands are protected, and it is heart-breaking to see the level of decay and pollution in this area.' According to Lesch, the property is now guarded, and repair of the fences has started. 'Rehabilitation will be done, and I am thankful for those who committed to assist with the rehabilitation process. From my observation, the basic rehabilitation may take several weeks to months to complete.' He said the resettlement now opens the way or planned development on nearby properties to go ahead, and for the protection of the environment to gain momentum. 'I must thank everyone in the community who supported me in this effort, especially those who lifted me up during the times that things did not progress as planned.' ALSO READ: Plans to replace pipes to address water woes in Waterkloof Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to [email protected] or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
eNCA
10-07-2025
- Climate
- eNCA
Durban flood victims sleeping on the street amid R128m debt to hotel
DURBAN - Over hundreds of survivors of the recent floods in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal are sleeping on the streets. Among those include children This comes after they were evicted from their temporary accommodation. The Human Settlements Department confirms that the owner of the hotel they'd been placed in has since kicked them out, over an outstanding bill of R128 million. The flood victims had been staying in the accommodation for almost five months since they were moved from Lamontvile. At the time heavy rains had lashed through the community leaving trails of disruption. Department of Human Settlements spokesperson Ndabezinhle Sibiya explains that there has been a delay in processing of payments but efforts to turn around the situation are in motion.
Express Tribune
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Orangi no more a slum, PA told
Once dubbed as the biggest slum of the Asia, Orangi Town is no more a katchi abadi, said CM's Advisor on Human Settlement Najmi Alam on the floor of Sindh Assembly on Friday. "Orangi Town is no longer classified as a katchi abadi (slum), with the Sindh government investing Rs7 billion in its development," Najmi said. He noted that while the number of slums across the city has grown significantly, the government is committed to regularising these settlements after completing all necessary legal formalities. He made these remarks on Friday during the question-and-answer session related to the Human Settlements Department in the Sindh Assembly. The session, chaired by a Panel of Chairpersons' head Rehana Leghari, also addressed various written and supplementary questions from lawmakers. While responding to questions in the Sindh Assembly, Najmi Alam acknowledged widespread encroachments on drains and water lines. He reported that three employees were dismissed for issuing illegal leases. Responding to MQM member Quratul Ain's question, he said the department has records of slums registered until 2011. Alam highlighted the major issue of illegal construction in slums, mentioning that even the posh Clifton locality has three slum settlements. The government has formed a demolition squad All through the slums, streets would be widened by 10 feet any other structure on the streets would be razed. Answering MQM's Fauzia Hameed, he explained that property ownership is thoroughly verified, maps are prepared, and drone imagery is used before leases are granted.
The Citizen
02-05-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
WATCH: Joburg residents weigh in on draft informal settlements policy
The City of Johannesburg's Human Settlements Department held a public participation process on the Draft Informal Settlements Policy at the South Rand Recreation Centre, Welfare Park, on April 23. The aim was to get the public's input to guide the city on how to address service delivery, upgrading projects and long-term development in and around the community. It was a chance to be heard and influence decisions directly impacting the residents' future in these informal settlements. MMC for Human Settlements, Mlungisi Mabaso, addressed the public, stating some challenges and how the policy would help pave the way forward. 'In this draft policy, we want to address some of the challenges you face as residents of these informal settlements – how we provide basic services, how we co-ordinate the entities in providing the services and how we manage the informal settlements in Johannesburg. 'We have more than 352 informal settlements in Johannesburg and have yet to formalise the first informal settlement. In that process, we encountered challenges because you can come to an informal settlement and find out they have 300 households or shacks. Then you plan. When you go back with the budget, they are now 700. You then have to go back again and re-adjust your plan,' he said. He said this makes it difficult to work. The policy looks at how to deal with situations when informal settlements are on undeveloped land, wetlands and privately owned land. 'In the informal settlements are people who own multiple shacks, people who own shacks in different informal settlements, and others living somewhere else but renting out shacks they own. They illegally sell electricity and water, while others take the communal taps and put them in their yards. 'We are developing this policy because we want a co-ordinated way of addressing these issues. If we don't deal with these issues, the informal settlements will grow in Johannesburg, and we will not formalise them because of these challenges. 'We've also realised that our co-ordination for providing basic services in the informal settlements is unco-ordinated. Johannesburg Water does its own thing when it goes to the informal settlement, and City Power also comes in without considering the formalisation process. That is why some informal settlements are unelectrified,' explained Mabaso. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
02-05-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
WATCH: City of Joburg consults public on draft policy for informal settlements
The City of Johannesburg's Human Settlements Department held a public participation process on the Draft Informal Settlements Policy at the South Rand Recreation Centre, Welfare Park, on April 23. The aim was to get the public's input to guide the city on how to address service delivery, upgrading projects and long-term development in and around the community. It was a chance to be heard and influence decisions directly impacting the residents' future in these informal settlements. MMC for Human Settlements, Mlungisi Mabaso, addressed the public, stating some challenges and how the policy would help pave the way forward. 'In this draft policy, we want to address some of the challenges you face as residents of these informal settlements – how we provide basic services, how we co-ordinate the entities in providing the services and how we manage the informal settlements in Johannesburg. 'We have more than 352 informal settlements in Johannesburg and have yet to formalise the first informal settlement. In that process, we encountered challenges because you can come to an informal settlement and find out they have 300 households or shacks. Then you plan. When you go back with the budget, they are now 700. You then have to go back again and re-adjust your plan,' he said. He said this makes it difficult to work. The policy looks at how to deal with situations when informal settlements are on undeveloped land, wetlands and privately owned land. 'In the informal settlements are people who own multiple shacks, people who own shacks in different informal settlements, and others living somewhere else but renting out shacks they own. They illegally sell electricity and water, while others take the communal taps and put them in their yards. 'We are developing this policy because we want a co-ordinated way of addressing these issues. If we don't deal with these issues, the informal settlements will grow in Johannesburg, and we will not formalise them because of these challenges. 'We've also realised that our co-ordination for providing basic services in the informal settlements is unco-ordinated. Johannesburg Water does its own thing when it goes to the informal settlement, and City Power also comes in without considering the formalisation process. That is why some informal settlements are unelectrified,' explained Mabaso. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
