A decade of service delivery issues and more at Pikoko informal settlement

An informal settlement in Muldersdrift remains a hot topic due to several municipal issues that residents have to deal with.

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This has left both residents and a councillor frustrated as the problem persists even after almost 10 years of efforts and awareness being raised.

The Pikoko informal settlement is at a stalemate and the question is … who must take responsibility for the state of the settlement?

The settlement initially began as a temporary housing solution for people who moved from Ruimsig North. Lack of service delivery, crime, illegal mining and poor municipal management run rampant.

According to Mogale City Local Municipality (MCLM) Ward 28 councillor Jean Kotze, over 50% of the population at the settlement is made up of undocumented foreigners.

Kotze added that the Department of Home Affairs needs to do a census in the settlement and the South Africans need to be relocated to an area where proper services are available.

“My responsibility is to the South African citizens,” he said, explaining that illegal immigrants are making the situation more difficult and need to be removed.

‘The people who are more affected and inconvenienced are South Africans who can barely survive here.”

There have been efforts by police to manage the crime, however, according to Kotze there is no luck in resolving the crime issue. Kotze said that the land falls within the jurisdiction of MCLM, however, it is owned by City of Johannesburg (CoJ).

The Krugersdorp News approached MCLM for comment to gain clarity over the settlement who confirmed they are aware of the problems at the settlement.

According to MCLM head of communications Adrian Amod, efforts have been made to improve the conditions.

‘Efforts have been made to support residents, including the provision of chemical toilets and waste removal by Mogale City as well as water services by the City of Johannesburg.”

Kotze also confirmed that the settlement is next to Ruimsig Golf Club and was inherited from the City of Johannesburg after the 2016 Local Government Elections. However, no proper documentation (detailing the settlement) has been received despite numerous attempts by MCLM.

”We were told that the City of Joburg will continue to provide services to the settlement; however, MCLM had played a minimal role by posting security guards to patrol the site to ensure that no additional shacks are built.”

The News approached CoJ for comment, however, no feedback was given at the time of print. Their response will be published once received.