Local government condemns violent protests in Diepsloot
The Gauteng Department of Local Government and the City of Johannesburg have condemned the violent protests in Diepsloot, northern Johannesburg.
The upsurge of violent protests in Diepsloot is a cause for concern for as the City of Johannesburg has been engaging residents of Diepsloot informal settlement living in dangerous conditions about the pending relocation.
According to Nthatisi Modingoane, the spokesperson for the City of Johannesburg, the municipality had taken a decision to relocate people living in low lying areas prone to floods.
"A decision was taken to relocate people living in dangerous areas as part of the city's housing master plan. The city also made an undertaking to relocate people from servitude areas such as those who have erected shacks on pavements, under the bridges, underneath electric pylons because such are hazardous and unsafe situations," Modingoane said.
He said residents had agreed to relocate to an emergency settlement established by the City of Johannesburg.
"So far, 1 100 families had been relocated to an emergency shelter in the area. Subsequently, a decision was taken to relocate a further 500 families living in flood lying areas.
"The recent rainfall also prompted us to expedite the process and we had started relocating 40 families. However, we were shocked to wake up in this situation where a certain grouping had decided to object to the relocation." Modingoane said.
Gauteng Local Government MEC Qedani Dorothy Mahlangu has called for calm in the area.
According to Mahlangu's spokesperson Themba Sepotokele, the MEC was concerned about the recent violent protests engulfing the province, with the recent one in Diepsloot.
"The spate of violent protests is a cause for concern. We encourage people to exercise their democratic right to protest but that should be done in a meaningful and peaceful manner. We condemn any form of violent accompanying these protests.
"In this regard, we support the City of Johannesburg to relocate people from dangerous areas to an emergency shelter. The city is doing its best to ensure that people are relocated to an emergency shelter, yet this whole thing is blown out of proportion as if its evictions. This is relocation, the City is not throwing people into the streets as if the government doesn't have sympathy," Sepotokele said.
For more information contact Themba Sepotokele (DLG) on 011 355 5111/ 082 490 9869 or Nthatisi Modingoane (CoJ) on 011 407 7354 0r 082 467 9228
Nthatisi Modingoane
Media Liaison Officer
CITY OF JOHANNESBURG
Tel: (011) 407 7354
Fax: 403 3494
Cell: 082 467 9228
E-mail: nthatisem@joburg.org
