The newly appointed MEC for Gauteng Human Settlements and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Departments Jacob Mamabolo said the provincial government together with the City of Ekurhuleni will work together to assist more than 250 families who were left stranded after the liquidation of Aurora Mine in Grootvlei in Springs.
 
MEC Mamabolo together with the Special Adviser to the Premier Eric Xayiya visited the mine to engage with the residents who were left stranded after the mine was put under liquidation in 2010.The basic services like electricity, water and sanitation were cut off.

The residents have pleaded with the MEC and the government representatives to assist them with restoring electricity, water, sanitation and other amenities. They also raised the issue of security and crime in the area.
MEC Mamabolo said they need to find a way to assist the residents as have they been living under difficult conditions. “We are going to have an urgent meeting with relevant stakeholder so that we can come up with a detailed comprehensive intervention plan. We have seen the hostel and I can tell that, in its current state, it is not a place that can be used by human beings,” said Mamabolo.

Mamabolo further said it was sad to see the hardships of such abandoned people who had come here to work in the mines to earn a living. Now they are left penniless and have nothing to show for all the years spent in mines. Working with the Ekurhuleni Metro the Human Settlements department will try to find lasting solutions to problems raised.

Meanwhile, since his appointment on 23 May 2014, Mamabolo has been hard at work intervening in affected communities. On Sunday 25 May 2014, two days after his appointment, MEC responded to burnt building in the inner city and to evicted poor people in Hillbrow. Work is underway to find alternative solutions to these problems. Also the MEC met with officials of both the Departments of Human Settlements and COGTA (Cooperative Governance) to emphasize the need to put more vigour to enhance service delivery by the two Departments. In this week the MEC will also meet communities which include Zithobeni and Bekkersdal.