Doornkop residents face delays in relocation following building collapse

Residents of an informal settlement in Doornkop, Soweto, will have to wait before they are moved to a new location.

Last month, a two-storey building in the area caved in, killing three people. Joburg officials then declared the area unfit for human habitation and announced that a relocation process would begin soon. However, Jabulile Mbatha reports there is no clear timeline as to when residents will be moved.

On Friday, the Joburg MMC for Human Settlements, Mlungisi Mabaso, addressed community members at the Doornkop Hall in Soweto regarding RDP and other government housing applications.

He told residents that while they have identified land suitable for homes, they are still in the planning phase.

"When you work on the service stands, you do a draft layout plan just to determine the yield first, then you start the processes of planning and designing of services, because you cannot design services when you do not have a plan, because it must be informed by the layout," Mabaso explained.

He added that while this project started in 2024, the planning processes take time.

This means residents from the informal settlement in the township will have to remain in the area identified as uninhabitable until further notice.

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