DA STRONGLY OBJECTS TO TSHWANE MOVING MELGISEDEK’S 450 PEOPLE TO LAND WITH NO SERVICES OR WATER

Ald Cilliers Brink DA Tshwane Caucus Leader and DA Tshwane mayoral candidate photo by Dimakatso Modipa

By Ald Cilliers Brink
DA Tshwane Mayoral Candidate

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Tshwane is deeply concerned that the ANC coalition alongside Comrade Moya, plan to move over 400 people from the Melgisedek Building to land that is not fit for human occupation.

Last week, the ANC government celebrated a court order to relocate the occupants of Melgisedek, however there is no clarity where these occupants will be relocated to nor what the long-term solution will be.

The City’s eviction order includes approximately 450 people comprising of illegal occupants of the buildings and illegal settlers on the surrounding property, many are illegal immigrants and have serious substance abuse problems. These people find themselves living on unserviced land, not suitable for human habitation.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is concerned that decades long social problems of Melgisedek will now merely be transferred to another part of the City, with no real solution offered.

The ANC administration needs to carefully consider the impact on neighbouring communities of a relocation site as relocating occupants of Melgisedek into other communities without dealing with the societal concerns or having a long-term relocation plan ready will merely create a new Melgisedek.

The DA has called for a report from the City of Tshwane Housing Oversight Committee on the road ahead. We also call on the Mayor to play open cards with the residents of Tshwane on what contingencies have been put in place to ensure communities directly affected by the relocation will not be adversely affected.