She was then placed in the Driefontein community hall following the floods before being allocated a TRU there.
Some residents confronted her and asked why people from other communities were now placed in the area in Driefontein which had been set aside for a housing project where local residents were to be allocated houses.
“I’m very happy for the house (the TRU) but my pain stems from the fact that the people we share public transport with are now threatening to burn us inside the house and saying no Mpondo person will be allowed here.
“I have children, so maybe I may escape but they may not. I’m happy for the unit but I’m scared. Of course I’m from the Eastern Cape but I don’t vote there, I vote here,” Delabantu said.
Nkululeko Sithole, a ward 21 councillor, confirmed that there had indeed been conflict brewing within the community about the placement of families who previously lived outside Driefontein.
“This ward has four voting districts under it, so we found out that in Sinqobile there was no vacant land to move affected families. Meanwhile, here in Driefontein, there is commercial land that was initially meant for a housing project,” Sithole said.
He said people of Driefontein had been waiting for a long time, and now there was conflict with some community members questioning why this land was benefiting people from other voting districts while they had been waiting for houses.
Sithole said the Driefontein housing project will still house the people of Driefontein only.
“The other people are only here temporarily. They will move to projects outside this voting district,” he said.
Sandile Cele, director of human settlements in the KwaDukuza municipality, said more than 600 people were displaced in April after their homes were destroyed.
He said 221 TRUs had been completed by the municipality to date.
TimesLIVE
KwaDukuza municipality moves closer to housing all displaced flood victims
Image: Sandile Ndlovu
What was supposed to have been a joyous day ended in tears for one of the April flood victims in KwaZulu-Natal after she was allegedly threatened and suffered verbal attacks based on tribal lines from community members. All this because she is originally from the Eastern Cape, even though she is a member of the KwaDukuza municipality community.
Ntombizodwa Delabantu and her family were among the last families to be allocated temporary residential units (TRUs) in the Driefontein community in the KwaDukuza municipality on Tuesday.
Mayor Lindile Nhaca closed five more mass-care centres in the communities of Driefontein and Stanger Manor — in Stanger, north of Durban — meaning eight of the 12 community centres that had accommodated flood victims have been closed in the municipality.
She said all flood victims will be placed in TRUs before Christmas.
“Those who are not moving in today is because of challenges with the installation of services like electricity meters so they will have to wait until around the 21st when we will be doing those installations.”
However, for Delabantu, the day proved to be bittersweet after she claims she was threatened by people from the area after the mayor and other officials had left.
Delabantu said though she is originally from the Eastern Cape, she had lived in nearby Sinqobile in KwaDukuza before the floods.
She was then placed in the Driefontein community hall following the floods before being allocated a TRU there.
Some residents confronted her and asked why people from other communities were now placed in the area in Driefontein which had been set aside for a housing project where local residents were to be allocated houses.
“I’m very happy for the house (the TRU) but my pain stems from the fact that the people we share public transport with are now threatening to burn us inside the house and saying no Mpondo person will be allowed here.
“I have children, so maybe I may escape but they may not. I’m happy for the unit but I’m scared. Of course I’m from the Eastern Cape but I don’t vote there, I vote here,” Delabantu said.
Nkululeko Sithole, a ward 21 councillor, confirmed that there had indeed been conflict brewing within the community about the placement of families who previously lived outside Driefontein.
“This ward has four voting districts under it, so we found out that in Sinqobile there was no vacant land to move affected families. Meanwhile, here in Driefontein, there is commercial land that was initially meant for a housing project,” Sithole said.
He said people of Driefontein had been waiting for a long time, and now there was conflict with some community members questioning why this land was benefiting people from other voting districts while they had been waiting for houses.
Sithole said the Driefontein housing project will still house the people of Driefontein only.
“The other people are only here temporarily. They will move to projects outside this voting district,” he said.
Sandile Cele, director of human settlements in the KwaDukuza municipality, said more than 600 people were displaced in April after their homes were destroyed.
He said 221 TRUs had been completed by the municipality to date.
TimesLIVE
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