VEREENIGING – The DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Human Settlements, Mervyn Cirota MPL, has called for urgent intervention from the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) following outrage from residents of Ramaphosa Informal Settlement, who claim to be living under inhumane conditions. They cite that their portable toilets have not been maintained for more than four months.

In an interview with Ster North, Cirota called for the dignity of the residents to be restored. An appalled Cirota said that while the crisis persists, the GPG and the Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) are pointing fingers at each other over who should take responsibility for addressing this urgent crisis.

“Ten families share a single mobile toilet; some residents have resorted to using buckets in their shacks, as the toilets are overflowing with waste and are infested with worms. These residents are exposed to terrible living conditions because of a severe lack of proper, dignified sanitation. The DA condemns the ongoing violations of residents’ human rights and demands immediate action from the GPG and ELM to resolve this sanitation issue.”

Following the GPG’s attempt to clean up the toilets, Cirota called for a more sustainable solution to the problem. He said that the government was being reactive in only addressing issues after they hit the headlines.

“This is unacceptable and indicates the Gauteng government’s lack of involvement in municipal affairs. The government’s reactive approach only responds to crises when they hit the headlines. This is disappointing as these quick fixes do not address the real challenges.”

Ster North previously received numerous complaints from Sicelo residents, in Midvaal Local Municipality, who said that their portable toilets were not serviced for months. Residents said they are desperate for a solution as they fear that the situation will start affecting their health. They said the portable toilets are in poor condition due to a lack of maintenance.

Cirota said he would engage with the Gauteng Premier, Panyaza Lesufi, the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements MEC, Tasneem Motara, and the ELM to ensure a consistent and repetitive process of providing proper sanitation at Ramaphosa Informal Settlement and all informal settlements facing the same predicament in the province.