Transport MMC Kenny Kunene has urged Diepsloot residents to stop illegal dumping, saying conditions at two hotspots have improved since earlier this year.

During a visit to the area on October 21, Kunene inspected two locations where illegal dumping has been a concern, noting one had been cleaned while the other still had waste scattered around. He acknowledged that some dumping remained but said the situation was better than during an earlier visit. “It’s not as bad as it was when we came here earlier this year,” he said.

He encouraged residents to maintain the progress and take responsibility for keeping their neighbourhood clean. “We want to say to the people of Diepsloot, continue doing the good work. Keep up the good work. Stop dumping in the [informal settlement areas]. Big up to the people of Diepsloot. We are getting there. Salute.”

Read more: Estate rolls up sleeves to clean up spaces

Beyond the clean-up efforts in Diepsloot, Kunene also reflected on the wider infrastructure challenges facing Johannesburg, particularly the strain on roads and storm water systems as the city continues to grow. He said he began pushing for a more intensive approach to service delivery in 2023 after recognising that the city’s infrastructure was struggling to keep pace with population growth and residential development. “The road infrastructure and the storm water infrastructure of Johannesburg has collapsed,” he said. “The population has grown, residential areas have grown, but the developers are short-changing communities.”

According to Kunene, some developers fail to install adequate storm water infrastructure, while others use pipes that are too small to cope with the volume of water, contributing to flooding in townships. “That’s why, after every development in the townships, there’s always flooding. Because the developers are not doing what is right.”

To accelerate service delivery, Kunene said he introduced Operation Restore, an initiative that brings teams from different areas together to concentrate on specific wards and complete as much work as possible within a targeted period. He explained that the approach allows the city to direct resources towards areas requiring urgent attention, with teams moving between regions to tackle outstanding work.

Also read: AFS rolls up sleeves for help clean up public spaces

Kunene also recalled writing to President Cyril Ramaphosa to raise concerns about Johannesburg’s infrastructure and the funding needed to address the challenges. He said he requested R100b to rebuild roads, clear storm water drains, install drainage infrastructure where it was lacking, and rehabilitate bridges across the city.

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