After years of neglect and being forced to stay in dilapidated units, the residents of Diepkloof Hostel remain hopeful that their homes will finally be rebuilt from scratch.
Early this year, the residents of the infamous hostel barricaded roads around the hostel as they protested over electricity, water and other service delivery challenges.
On Tuesday, newly-re-elected MMC for Human Settlements, Mlungisi Mabaso visited the Diepkloof Hostel for his first oversight visit since rejoining his previous portfolio.
Mabaso, who was in the company of his team, promised a big turnaround strategy that will see some of the residents, whose homes are close to collapse, being afforded temporary accommodation while the appointed service providers demolish some of the affected units.
However, Mabaso indicated that there was still some resistance from members of the community who refuse to be given temporary shelter, resulting in a “difficult but necessary process” that needs the assistance of community leaders.
Addressing the media following his visit around the hostel on Tuesday, Mabaso said his department will have to find ways of resolving some of the issues that contribute to residents of the hostel being hostile to some of the identified interventions in order to not further waste more time inverting the project off the ground.
Some of the units have already been slightly destroyed as the contractors endeavour to get started on the project of completely demolishing the structures and building new and improved units.
“As you can see some of the structures here are beyond repair and can collapse at any time, hence we have identified that we need to move with speed in starting with the redevelopment of the Diepkloof Hostel. It is going to be a difficult process, considering that we need to relocate people out of these structures and house them in alternative accommodation so that we are able to commence with the development. However, our teams have been met with some resistance on the ground, understanding also, the frustrations that the residents have encountered,” said Mabaso.
Diepkloof Hostel community leader, Sibongiseni Khoza, said some of the residents have become apprehensive due to the many promises made to them over the years.
He said it will take some time for all of them to come to the party as they have become accustomed to lies.
“We are happy to see our MMC here. It shows that there is some progress being made and we appreciate this. However, there has been too many promises made to the people of Diepkloof Hostel which is why they are doubtful about some of the promises being made to them.
“We are determined to find ways to work with the MMC and his team as there has been many attempts being made with empty promises,” Khoza said.
A resident of the hostel, who declined to be named and who has been part of the community since 2009, said she too, is hopeful that the project will not be abandoned midway as has been the norm with some development projects.
“My only hope is that this project will start and be completed and not be like man other projects that never see the light of day. Our children are suffering in these conditions. We therefore plead with the authorities to really get this project going and without any delays,” she said.
Mabaso indicated that more than a 100 residents are in need of alternative accommodation in order to ensure that the development gets under way.
“I am not in the position to give you timelines of when the project will finish as we are still trying to sort out the issue of alternative accommodation. We do not want our people to be housed in containers anymore, and therefore, we are engaging other stakeholders and communities on how to be find a solution to this so that we do not waste time in getting started,” he said.