Ten families in Ramaphosa Informal Settlement in Vereeniging share a single mobile toilet; some residents have resorted to using buckets in their shacks, as the toilets are overflowing with waste and infested with worms. These residents are exposed to inhumane and terrible living conditions because of a severe lack of proper, dignified sanitation.
Meanwhile, the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) and the Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) are pointing fingers at each other over who should take responsibility for addressing this urgent crisis. The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng condemns the ongoing violations of residents’ human rights and demands immediate action from the GPG and Emfuleni to resolve this sanitation issue.
During a recent oversight inspection, a DA delegation was appalled by the state of the mobile toilets at Ramaphosa Informal Settlements. Residents expressed their frustration over living conditions that resembled those of animals, as they use mobile toilets that were neither cleaned nor maintained.
See photos here, here and here.
This is unacceptable and indicates the Gauteng government’s lack of involvement in municipal affairs. The government’s reactive approach only responds to crises when they hit the headlines—such as the recent attempts to empty the toilets in Ramaphosa Informal Settlement after public outrage. This is disappointing as these quick fixes do not address the real challenges.
The DA will engage Premier Panyaza Lesufi, the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements (GDHS), MEC Tasneem Motara, and the Emfuleni Local Municipality to ensure the consistent and repetitive process of giving proper sanitation at Ramaphosa Informal Settlement and all informal settlements facing the same predicament in our province.
A DA-led Gauteng provincial government would have formalised essential services like sanitation, ensuring that residents of Ramaphosa Informal Settlement receive the dignity they rightfully deserve.