After they were removed from Marlboro containers, they made squatter camps outside

By Mashamba Media
news@alexreporter.co.za

DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Human Settlements, Mervyn Cirota MPL has complained of what he calls unexplained delays” in allocating temporary container homes located in Marlboro and next to the Madala Hostel in Alexandra.

He argues that the delay by Gauteng Department of Human Settlements (GDHS) have resulted in illegal invasions from residents who have run out of patience waiting for dignified housing.

Cirota said the Covid-19 container homes have remained unallocated for almost four years despite being built and ready for occupancy.

“The Democratic Alliance (DA) has long warned that if these container homes remain vacant, they will be vandalised and illegally occupied because people are desperate for housing.

“However, former GDHS MEC Lebohang Maile failed to address this issue, resulting in community members self-allocating and, in some cases, vandalising the container homes,” he said.

He said that when the temporary container homes were introduced, the DA was informed that they would be used to decongest the informal settlements in Alexandra and Marlboro, “following a reported case of Covid-19 in Alexandra, which prompted a rapid response from the National Department of Human Settlements”.

“After the Covid-19 pandemic, the department should immediately have allocated the units, even if as a temporary arrangement.

“The DA demands that the GDHS urgently provide reasons as to why these units have not been allocated to residents and when this process, which has been delayed for such a long time, will commence.

“The DA will table questions in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL) to MEC Tasneem Motara to ascertain why these containers are still unoccupied and how much the department spends on safeguarding them from illegal invasion.

“In addition, the DA urges the MEC to prioritise the allocation of houses. The number of people waiting for housing is increasing exponentially, rather than decreasing.

“The DA notes with concern the continued failure of the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements and the City of Johannesburg to provide a plan for housing to the residents of Alexandra and how it will be implemented.

“The DA will, in search of progress, raise this long outstanding service delivery failure in the Gauteng Human Settlements Committee and pose questions to the Premier and the MEC.”

This week, many residents who had illegally occupied the containers at Marlboro were removed by law enforcement agencies.

They have since camped outside the containers.

Editional reporting by Malesela Mangena ( Alex FM).