Has the councillor done enough?

Zandspruit residents expressed their dissatisfaction about the lack of service delivery in the area and they claimed that more still needs to be done by the councillor. “I think even though the councillor is trying, there is a lot more she could do,” said Hloniphani Gatsheni. Another resident complained about basic human necessities like toilets and houses. “We need better toilets, more houses and jobs in this community, but I thank the councillor for all she has done so far,” said Rufuno Maponya.

Responding to the community’s views Maureen Scheemann, the Ward 114 councillor said that a lot that has been done since 1994.

The councillor said the city has built VIP toilets and water stands, upgraded Beyers Naude Drive formerly known as the road of death and built Zandspruit clinic, 315 RDP houses, a taxi rank, a children’s park, a primary school, an overhead pedestrian bridge, tarred roads and storm water drains. “The city has also bought and negotiated to buy land, inserted high mast lights and opened a new ARV centre at the clinic”.

There were about 5 500 families in Zandspruit in 2005. The council then made plans to buy land and build houses for the 5 500 families. The problem however is that the numbers of residents continues to grow. There are currently 25 000 families in the area.

“Even though we buy all the land around Zandspruit and build houses the space is not enough to put in 25 000 families,” she said

There is also a transit camp which has 240 stands but there are about 2 500 shacks in that area only, she continued.

“The people say that the toilets are disgusting and are not cleaned which is true,” Scheemann said.

However according to Scheemann, these toilets are not cleaned because there are more people than there are supposed to be and therefore the toilets get full quickly.

“I don’t think I can do any more than I am doing now,” she concluded.