The Democratic Alliance (DA) notes two further reports in the media regarding the dismal lack of water and sanitation services being provided to informal settlements in Ekurhuleni.
Following community concerns raised by informal settlement dwellers last year, the DA conducted two oversite inspections to settlements listed as recipients of the R1.9 billion Ekurhuleni toilet tender.
The DA was shocked to see the state of chemical toilets in the area and as well a dismal lack of water availability – only 1 Jojo-tank delivery a day from the City of Ekurhuleni municipality.
Communal toilets were found to be largely non-functional; sewer blockages meant that raw sewage was flowing into the streets; and water tankers dispatched by the Municipality followed no linear time-table.
The DA has submitted written questions, petitions and members’ statements at both a local and national government level but these have fallen on deaf ears.
Minister Lindiwe Sisulu responded to the DA’s concerns on this matter noting that:
- The Urban Settlement Development Grant for the current municipal financial year allocated to the City of Ekurhuleni is R2.092 billion;
- A total of R25 000 000 was allocated to install water and sanitation infrastructure for both formal and informal settlements;
- The water and sanitation service ratio for Lindelani Informal Settlement is adequate and in certain instances exceeds the minimum standard, therefore no budget was allocated;
- There are three permanent stand pipes that have been provided to the community of Lindelani and four (4) water tankers deliver water on a daily basis within a radius of 100 meters from every household. The residents of Lindelani have access to piped and potable water within a radius of 100 meters from their homes. The City of Ekurhuleni is installing more water points in the areas that are expanding;
- As from 1 July 2019 the chemical toilets are serviced once a week as per the City’s contract with the new service provider. The City has not yet received any complaints from the community and or the leadership.
The Minister’s responses were clearly erratic and illogical, having been based solely on information fed to her office by the Municipality rather than any thorough due diligence having been conducted by her office. It is also not clear what the R25 million infrastructure grant has been spent on by the Municipality.
Furthermore, beyond the plight of informal settlement dwellers, the DA remains deeply concerned that the new toilet chemical tender, awarded by the Ekurhuleni Municipality in late 2019 does not seem to include any new specifications intended to address community concerns raised repeatedly by both the DA and the community with both the Minister’s office and the Municipality itself.
Despite more than 229 companies bidding for the new 2019 contact, it is reported by Amabhungane that 11 of the 15 companies previously awarded tenders during the 2016 tender process were again awarded the lucrative toilet contracts.
The DA further visited the premises of one of the successful bidders during last years oversite exercise and discovered hundreds of un-used toilets standing in a field belonging to the company – but being billed to the Municipality.
Having exhausted most of the remedial options available to highlight the plight of informal settlement dwellers, the DA will now call on the Water and Sanitation and Human Settlements Portfolio Committee to conduct on urgent oversite visit to scrutinize the current Ekurhuleni Municipality’s chemical toilet and communal water provision operations.
It is about time that the governing party’s committee members see for themselves the state of water and sanitation services in this community.
The DA will not stand by while the community of Lindelani is left out to dry by a government that does not care about them!