Today, I visited the community of Lusaka View Informal Settlement, together with the MMC for Environment and Infrastructure Services, Cllr Nico de Jager, as well as officials from Johannesburg Water, to hand over ablution facilities to the community of Lusaka View Informal Settlement in Ivory Park.
This after I received reports that the delivery of ablution facilities had been delayed through the inaction of the local Councillor.
Sanitation is a basic human right, which contributes to human dignity and quality of life. It is an essential tool in the fight against poverty and inequality. It is unthinkable that a Councilor would willingly, for cheap politics, delay the delivery of needed sanitation to one of our poorest communities and deny them the dignity they deserve.
Indeed, the delivery of these ablution facilities has been pending since this past Monday, however, due to the Councilor refusing to cooperate with officials, delivery of these needed facilities could not take place. Given the conditions which our residents have been forced to endure, the Councilor’s actions, or lack thereof, are unconscionable.
It is for this reason that I will be approaching the Speaker on this matter so that disciplinary action may be taken against Councilor for seeking to undermine the delivery of service to our poorest residents and in so doing denying them of their right to dignity. Service delivery to our residents is of upmost importance; political grandstanding has no place in the sphere of service delivery.
I am proud that we could deliver Ventilated Improved Pit ablutions facilities which will now service 270 households within the community. This is now in addition to the ablution facilities handed over to 1900 households in Zamimpilo Informal Settlement community, on Tuesday.
The savings achieved by the City during the previous financial year have been redirected into bringing Diphetogo (real change) to communities like Lusaka View and Zamimpilo by enhancing critical service delivery areas. The budget for provision of basic water and sanitation services was increased to R75 million this financial year and by the end of June, Johannesburg Water, would have provided 4 834 households in informal settlements with access to basic sanitation.
Providing all households in the City of Johannesburg with access to water and sanitation is crucial.
Over 72 000 households in informal settlements are serviced by VIP latrines, individual connections or ablution blocks. Through these programmes, the City is working hard to eradicate the use of chemical toilets as an only option. By July, this backlog will be reduced by 2 000 households.
This pro-poor administration will continue to bring back dignity to our residents by tackling basic infrastructure backlogs, because an investment in infrastructure is an investment in the future. I ask residents to also take ownership of infrastructure in their communities and report all leaks to Johannesburg Water at 011 375 5555.
For media queries:
Luyanda Mfeka
Director: Mayoral Communications
Office of the Executive Mayor
Cell: 076 171 5978
Email: luyandam@joburg.org.za
Or
Chantelle Fourie-Shawe
Media Specialist: Office of the Executive Mayor
081 546 1014
chantellef@joburg.org.za
