Maile promises to redevelop Nancefield Hostel after weekend floods affect more than 400 families

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18-11-2022
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News 24
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The City of Johannesburg, along with the provincial government, will form a technical task team to redevelop Nancefield Hostel.

The hostel and a nearby informal settlement were hit by flooding over the weekend, affecting 400 families.

It is suspected that the construction of a bridge caused water to flow towards the hostel.

As part of the City of Johannesburg's commitment to redevelop Nancefield Hostel, it is forming a technical task team in collaboration with the provincial government.

This comes after flooding at the hostel and nearby informal settlement over the weekend affected around 400 families. The area was one of several in the city that was affected by downpours after the SA Weather Service issued a Level 6 warning of strong winds, rainfall, and possible localised flooding.

On Monday, Gauteng Human Settlements MEC Lebogang Maile, the City of Johannesburg MMC for human settlements Mlungisi Mabaso and MMC for transport Funzela Ngobeni visited a bridge construction site.

Mabaso established that the construction of the bridge in Klipspruit Valley Road might have had an impact on the stream that forced water to flow towards the hostel.

As an immediate intervention, temporary structures will be erected in Nancefield Hostel to accommodate residents living in dilapidated structures, Mabaso added.

Mabaso said:

We really need to develop hostels. The... conditions in hostels are no longer conducive for people to live in. We will work with the provincial government to improve living conditions in hostels across the city.

The bridge construction is expected to be completed early next year, according to Ngobeni.

"We are hoping that by the end of January or the beginning of February, we should be done with the project. We anticipate that there will be delays in completing the project in November. As you would have seen, the work is still underway," Ngobeni said.

The provincial government has committed to working with the City to help with any financial shortfalls that may arise, Maile said.

The development will also include the refurbishment of a local hall which was vandalised over the years.