Cape Town central line relocation blame game continues
The City of Cape Town has blamed the Housing Development Agency (HDA) for delays in the relocation of people living along Cape Town’s central line rail tracks.
The city said it had been waiting on the HDA for direction regarding the relocation process of the families.
This comes as Human Settlements Minister, Mmamoloko Kubayi recently expressed her disappointment that the city hadn’t used R111 million earmarked for the development of informal settlements in Cape Town.
The City said it received the funds too late and there was insufficient time to spend the money as the financial year was coming to an end.
Despite the city’s claims that the responsibility to initiate the move lies with HDA and the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa), the housing agency said its section 58 application to start the process had already been declined by the city.
The agency’s spokesperson, Katlego Moselakgomo called on the city to own its responsibility as the primary member of the steering committee in the relocation process.
“The first thing you must say is that I’m not responsible for the relocation, and then you return the money. Not that you receive the money and then you say no, you gave us the money late.”
Maselakgomo added that without the approval of the section 58 application by the city, further delays in moving the people off the rail tracks must be expected.
Prasa said while this project was being politicized by the city, poor people who are supposed to receive services were suffering the most.
Prasa’s regional manager, Raymond Maseko said the city was aware of what had to be done to fast-track relocation, however, they were dragging their feet.
“What we then discussed at the steering committee was that with the calendar year 2023, partners then needed to ensure that the programme is sufficiently funded then because we can then do that during the budgeting process, not to then go through the problems of last year.”
Maseko said he hopes the funding that had already been secured by the city for the project would not be returned to National Treasury despite claims its current financial year was ending.
“We are really hoping that our partners will secure the funding through the necessary government processes for us to still execute the project. The money is not going to go back if the necessary processes are done to apply for the keeping of that money. There are processes within the government that allow us to do that.”
-EWN
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