Life will not be the same for the group of shack dwellers from Shukushukuma in Site C, Khayelitsha who were relocated to new temporary structures at Bosasa in Mfuleni on Saturday 22 November.
At least 18 shacks were removed after more than 20 years of illegally occupying a pond.
Ward 87 councillor Khayalethu Kama said the residents’ relocation was long overdue. He said he had long been in negotiation with them, trying to convince them to move. He said the City intended to maintain the pond before the rainy season next year.
“The residents had been there for so many years. They invaded the pond and erected their shacks. Initially, they refused to relocate, but as leaders we managed to convince them to move. Now, the City will clean the pond and maintain the underground infrastructure so the water can flow easily.” So now, he added, there will be far fewer floods during the rain in the area, and all stormwater drains and ponds in the ward were to be maintained.
One resident, Babalo Siphethu, said he, for one, was delighted to have relocated from Shukushukuma. “I have a new home. I am starting a new life now. I’ve
been staying at Shukushukuma for more than 11 years. And we were struggling during the winter rains. We were flooding every season. Now, gone are those days.”
However, he stated that the only difference is that the TRAs are too far from the taxi ranks.
