‘Every time there’s floods, city officials are here’

Residents of an Alexandra settlement prone to flooding say their pleas to the government to be relocated elsewhere have fallen on deaf ears despite numerous promises over the years.  

With a rushing river right beside them, Lucas Moyani, who has been living in the area on the Juskei River banks for the past three years, said when he originally moved there, he didn't realise the danger of doing so.  

"If I was renting, it would make it easier to pack up and leave and find a better place for my family, but I poured all the money I had into buying this place and I can't just pack up and leave," said Moyani.  

Last week heavy rains poured in the area causing floods which damaged several houses along the embarkment. For years government has been making promises of relocating the residents to a safer location. The City of Johannesburg is yet again working on another plan to move the people to a temporary location. 

Moyani said they have become accustomed to the floods. 

" Whenever it rains, we run to the above neighbours who live on higher ground. They'd give us shelter for that day or night. There are times when we don't see it [rain] on time, especially when it gets worse at night, and the water seeps under the floors, waking us up," said Moyani.  

Another neighbour, who lives just a few houses down the riverbank and has been living there for more than eight years, said one doesn't sleep in their area as you are always listening for the water.  

“No one sleeps around this time of the year, especially during January and February, we know what to expect. You still get shocked because it’s either the water wakes you up or you return from work to rebuild your home from the damage,” said a resident who wanted to remain anonymous.  

Relay Nkwana, who has lived at the embankment for more than 10 years, said city officials have visited the area more than five times to provide solutions, but the community has yet to see their visits bear any fruit.  

“We are open to the idea of leaving and being moved to a better place, but they have come here many times. Every time there's a flood, they were here, and every time they would talk to us about creating barriers or moving us, but nothing ever happens. They were here this passed weekend to assess the river, to take down our names, but nothing has been done,” said Nkwane.  

The human settlement department in the City of Joburg said they are working on a plan to relocate the residents to a safer area.  

“We need to identify the land or an area that we can relocate people to. That’s an exercise that will be undertaken soon. A relocation plan is what we are working on. Timelines aren’t attached and we need to also identify structures and an area,” said Goba.  

In an assessment report by a subcontracted company, it found that the area also has a problem of illegal waste dumping site which cause unstable slopes on the banks.

The report further stated that the high public safety risk caused by these informal dwellings poses unacceptable risks to life and hazards to neighbouring properties.  

Ward councillor, Adolphus Marema, said the city should not only focus on relocating people but also create a plan to hinder people from living in the area.  

“There are many moral problems with the plan of relocation, and there are many exercises that need to happen like what needs to be done after removing them that prevents them from returning. It will be a vicious cycle if the prevention is not addressed. Jukskei River has been getting angrier in the last three decades washing people away and destroying homes, and we should learn before it gets worse,“ said Marema.