Residents of Sondela informal settlement in Mfuleni are exhilarated after they relocated to the new Temporary Relocation Area (TRA) within the area on Saturday 18 November.
Residents have been living in sub-standard conditions, with no toilets and water, since 2016.
Ward 108 councillor Nkosindiphile Lombi said the first group of residents moved into the TRA after the floods in August.
He said the relocation process is expected to be completed before Christmas. “The area is still named Sondela. We didn’t change it. In total, there are about 324 people who will be relocated. We moved them because they are currently situated in a wetland. It becomes flooded quickly when there are heavy rains,” said Lombi.
He added that the relocation forms part of the City’s re-blocking project to accommodate the Sondela community. “We are moving them to a site with all the basic services like water, electricity and toilets. It is temporary accommodation while waiting to be relocated to their houses,” he said.
One of the residents, Pheto Sadike, praised the City for the great initiative. She said their lives improved drastically. “I have my own toilet and electricity. We are safe here more than where we are coming from,” she added that floods are things of the past.