| Note to editors: Please find attached English soundbite by Mervyn Cirota MPL. Life in the ‘Fearfokol’ informal settlement in Ivory Park, near Tembisa, bears daily hardship and uncertainty. Children risk electrocution from makeshift power connections, sewage runs through crowded pathways, and a polluted stream adjacent to the shacks is a health hazard. This is all in an environment where residents also deal with a high crime rate. As an initial step, I will table questions to MEC Motara to determine the plans for this informal settlement, as residents cannot continue living in overcrowded conditions without the basic services needed to survive. She must stop sidelining the issue of informal settlements and instead clearly outline a concrete plan and vision. This must include an evolving process to facilitate joint engagement with all relevant stakeholders, including the residents of Fearfokol, to find sustainable solutions to the province’s growing housing challenges. For 15 years, residents have endured these conditions, as successive governments, including that of Premier Panyaza Lesufi, looked the other way. The DA learned of this cruel reality during its oversight inspection led by the DA Ward 77 Councillor, Otto Kgeletsane and I. A walk through this densely populated informal settlement reveals conditions that are appalling and unfit for habitation. The area is overcrowded, with narrow pathways that would be difficult to navigate in the event of a disaster. There is no access to toilets, refuse removal, electricity, or safe drinking water, and the only Apollo light that should light up the area has not worked for a year. The nearby stream linked to the Jukskei River has become a site of concern and tragedy, with reports of two newborn babies found in the sewage-contaminated water. During our visit, a dead dog was found dumped in the stream, which floods nearby shacks during heavy rains. Residents also report that children are frequently falling ill due to exposure to the contaminated water, which has a strong, foul smell. See video here and here and photos here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here. It is unacceptable that Fearfokol residents must live in such sickening conditions. Even more concerning is that similar conditions are common across many of the 200 informal settlements in Gauteng. Premier Lesufi and Human Settlements MEC Tasneem Motara are aware of this situation but are failing to take meaningful action to improve their situation. In fact, they do not even set foot in these sites. It is also apparent that the City of Johannesburg has no interest in these abandoned residents. The DA believes that a joint initiative between the Provincial Government, the City of Johannesburg and an injection of private sector capital is required to begin a process of recovery. While Premier Lesufi boasted during the State of the Province Address (SOPA) that his government would allocate R100 billion to human settlements in Gauteng, the housing waiting list to remains at over 1.4 million, with some people having waited for a house since 1996. There is no justification for this indignity to the residents of Gauteng. The DA is the only party with a clear plan to address the housing shortage and prevent the expansion of informal settlements, through a coordinated approach involving provincial and local government, as well as the private sector. This is achievable, and we will ensure it gets done! |
