The City of Johannesburg has announced a R9m sewer reticulation replacement project at Helen Joseph Women’s Hostel, marking a significant step toward improving sanitation and living conditions for residents long plagued by infrastructure failures.

The upgrade was unveiled on October 3 during a site visit by MMC for Human Settlements, Mlungiso Mabaso and Johannesburg Water’s Mduduzi Nhlapo, who introduced the appointed contractor. Nhlapo said the project would involve replacing the hostel’s external sewer pipelines that are currently collecting wastewater from laundry room plumbing fittings. “We are going to replace about 850m of pipes. We are also going to replace manholes that are part of the system itself,” he noted.

Read more: Councillor welcomes long-awaited sewerage upgrade at Helen Joseph Women’s Hostel

Ward 107 councillor Floyd Ngwenya welcomed the development, saying residents had been excluded from previous upgrades. “They have always had issues with sewer and water around the hostel. So, I am happy that the project has been introduced to the residents of Helen Joseph. They are happy and positive towards the project,” he said.

Also read: Helen Joseph Hostel to receive long-awaited sewer upgrade

Ngwenya added that the project must be fast-tracked to restore the dignity of the residents. “The residents of Helen Joseph deserve service delivery. They deserve to live in a conducive space where no sewage and water are running [everywhere].”

The hostel has previously been flagged for its uninhabitable conditions, including broken pipes, collapsing ceilings, and the persistent stench of sewage. These conditions prompted the DA to conduct a site inspection at the hostel in July, and the party’s councillor, Bea Campbell-Cloete, flagged the hostel’s conditions as shocking. “There is raw sewage running everywhere. Some of the sewers have been leaking for years. Our jails look better than what our women and children are expected to live in,” she told Alex News.

Ngwenya said he hoped the sewer reticulation replacement project would be the first of many developments that are going to happen at the hostel. Beyond the sewer upgrade, the project is also expected to create employment for some residents. Johannesburg Water confirmed that around 10 local labourers will be hired, and two SMMEs will be contracted to support the work.

Ngwenya said labourers will be sourced from Ward 107. “We want to empower people of Ward 107, and also the people of Helen Joseph will be given special treatment to ensure that they benefit.”

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