However, already there was a serious concern over the weekend, 7 March as the Red Ants assists to transport them for free. The disgruntled residents said the new homes are sited on the smaller stands than they previously occupied. The current stand are thirteen square meter in area.
Those familiar with the size of the free houses, said the normally RDP stands are at least sixteen square meters. This is the basic of the objection lodge by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). It has also been pointed out that the new occupants still have no proper infrastructure, except two water tanks and mobile toilets.
Beside the stands occupied by the squatters, few meters away, the EFF is allocating larger stands of twenty square meters. The EFF invites all those squatting in the back yard of the existing RDP houses to move into the squatter area they have identified.
‘So much for a better live for all’, lamented one settler. ‘They be called an inhuman settlement as it is a definitely a step down,’ he said.
Emfuleni MMC for housing, Edwin Kele had confirmed that Marikana area is for temporary. The community are still going to be relocated elsewhere in due course, hence we cannot provide them with bigger stands. However, Kele did not want to commit himself on how long will it take for Marikane squatters to wait. He said there’s more than 1000 squatters from Joko Tea that are been moved out. There’s no better live in that area. Some have since living under the pylon and pit toilets for decades. We are waiting for the department for housing to complete its project. Speaking only about the Joko Tea squatters, Kele said not all of them would be relocated in one area. Others will be moved to Boiketlong, and Extension 28 near Masiza stadium, in Sebokeng. He added that very soon they are going to evict those squatters illegally allocated by the members of the EFFs. We said only the identified residents from Joko are been accommodated. We have since appeal for patients to the community, said Kele.
