SPORONG - Residents of Sporong informal settlement in Randfontein, the west of Gauteng, say they are still waiting for the army.
The SANDF has been deployed in illegal mining hotspots, but the Sporong community said it has yet to see this placement.
In January, hundreds of families were forced to flee their homes due to violence linked to illegal mining.
Residents took shelter at the Randgate Community Hall. Police were then deployed to the area permanently.
But residents say this arrangement is inconsistent.
They’re also frustrated that they have not seen the army as much as they would like.
One resident said, “They said we would all be relocated by March. It’s almost May. We are pleading with Human Settlements to consider our situation.”
Another said, “We are still living in fear. We live with children here. We are struggling. Even when we go to Human Settlements, they keep giving us excuses about the developer. We have no idea what will end up happening to us.”
Community member Phillip Seleke said they have only seen the army once.
“We only spotted the army once. That was when they were here to do the inspection. Since then, we’ve been waiting. Only the police are here. We haven’t spotted soldiers. What we want is to be relocated. We want houses as they promised us."
It remains unclear when the army will return to Sporong as part of Operation Prosper.