VANDERBIJLPARK.- As the time draws closer to next year’s local government election, troubles have increased for those at the helm of the Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM).
This was evident when the DA staged a sit-in in the Mayor’s Parlour at the ELM offices in Vanderbijlpark on Monday.
The DA demanded that residents of Moscow, near Graceland, be provided with chemical toilets due to what they said was the municipality’s repeated failure to provide them with proper toilets. These residents have been residing in this area for ten years.
The DA’s Kingsol Chabalala told Sedibeng Ster that the DA has long urged the Gauteng government to formalise basic services in informal settlements, emphasising the need for essential infrastructure such as toilets. Unfortunately, he said, this plea has largely gone unaddressed, and many informal settlements remain in disarray, despite some having existed for as long as Moscow.
“Furthermore, the lack of a consistent water supply has heightened the residents’ plight, violating their fundamental rights to sanitation and clean water,” Chabalala said.
In a letter of demand addressed to ELM’s executive mayor, Sipho Radebe, the DA demanded the he provision of temporary ablution facilities within three (3) days to resolve the critical sanitation crisis and the immediate deployment of water tankers to provide regular access to clean water for all residents until a permanent solution is established.
“It is unacceptable that residents are denied access to toilets. This situation poses a serious health hazard that requires urgent attention. Gauteng residents are still recovering from the aftermath of the cholera outbreak and cannot afford to face another man-made disaster.”
At the time of going to print, Sedibeng Ster was awaiting response on the matter from ELM’s spokesperson, Makhosonke Sangweni.
The DA demands that the Gauteng MEC for Human Settlements, Tasneem Motara, urgently intervene to ensure that Emfuleni provides chemical toilets to Moscow residents as a temporary measure while building proper facilities to restore their dignity.
“If they fail to do this, the DA will be forced to report the matter to the Public Protector, since this is a clear violation of human rights.”
