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Hundreds of Protea Glen residents in Soweto are now suffering as their houses have been severely damaged by flash floods, yet the Gauteng MEC for Human Settlements, Lebogang Maile is ducking responsibility for permitting the contractor to build houses on wetlands.

The residents have lost all their valuable belongings and have nowhere to go due to Maile’s department's failure to assess the land before granting permission for houses to be built.

The DA is shocked to learn that Maile’s department permitted a contractor to build over 100 houses in a wetland in Protea Glen and now these houses have been swept by flash floods.

It has also been reported that the floods have caused sinkholes on roads and some bridges were swept away, over 2000 homes have been severely affected by the rain across the province.

Maile’s department must account for granting the contractor permission to build on a wetland. This indicates poor project management and incompetency by this failing department.

The DA propose the following to be done:

• MEC Maile must urgently outline a proper plan to address the state of disaster in the province.
• MEC Maile must address the affected residents of Soweto and outline how and when they will be assisted by the province.
• Timelines must be outlined to highlight when these residents’ houses will be replaced.
• An urgent investigation must be launched to determine those that are responsible for the approval of housing development on a wetland.

The DA will continue to put pressure on MEC Maile to account for allowing the contractor to build houses in wetlands which has resulted in 100 houses in Protea Glen being severely damaged by flash floods.

Issued by Mervyn Cirota MPL - DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Human Settlements