Residents of Jumpers Informal Settlements in Cleveland, East of Johannesburg, are living in appalling living conditions despite having waited for over two years for promised electrification, delivery of housing opportunities, and most importantly, the formalisation of the settlement. The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng demands accountability from the Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s government for poor living conditions and details on upgrading the informal settlement.
A DA delegation, including DA Johannesburg East Constituency Head, Dr Jack Bloom MPL, Gauteng Shadow MEC of Human Settlements, Mervyn Cirota, Johannesburg Shadow MMC of Human Settlements, and Cllr Neuren Petersen, inspected Jumpers Informal Settlement on Monday, 03 November 2025.
The inspection revealed that residents are living in filth and poor, unsanitary conditions, with raw sewage flowing close to their homes. It was also impossible to determine how the R59 million allegedly spent on the electrification of the settlements was used.
See photos here, here, here and here.
The only visible evidence of activity in the area is the installation of several poles. Currently, the site is unsuitable for formal development or the construction of housing units, as it lacks the necessary services to support such development.
Furthermore, there is a disturbing matter related to the development of this area whereby three activists who resided in the informal settlement have been murdered.
The DA, both in the City of Johannesburg (COJ) and the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL), will be tabling questions to determine how the amount of R59 million has been spent; what measures are being implemented to curb the proliferation of undocumented foreigners occupying the land; and whether the grant received by COJ for the electrification of Jumpers has been effectively used.
A compassionate DA-led Gauteng Provincial Government would not allow this informal settlement to remain in its current state. We would improve living conditions by ensuring access to basic services, including water, electricity, and proper sanitation.