One of the infuriated residents of this informal settlement, Letlhogonolo Motsamai, tells OFM News that residents have lost hope in the local government, as they always fail to deliver on their promises. He says that they were promised that they will be taken to their new sites in Joe Slovo, opposite the Pholoho Special School. However, they were later informed that they could no longer move there because the place belonged to the school. He says they were then promised to be handed sites in Hillside and Phomolong, however, that never materialised.

“They should provide us with sites in Joe Slovo as there are open spaces that can be occupied not far from where we stay.  Not long ago, residents stopped their projects in that open space, as they felt that it was not right to use that space for other things, whilst the residents are without places to stay,” he adds.

He further said that in 2019, they wrote letters to the then Mayor of Mangaung, Olly Mlamleli, who came with Human Settlements officials and they promised to immediately address their issues. Motsamai says that they feel that they have been failed as they also tried to involve other local government departments to sort out their problems. Nothing seems to materialise.

OFM News