Dobsonville Hostel audit to address long overdue sewage

The Department of Human Settlements in the city of Johannesburg has been spearheading an audit at the Dobsonville Hostel in recent weeks in a bid to address on-going health concerns and appalling living conditions.

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The audit follows lengthy discussions with the City and Human Settlement officials after concerns raised by hostel dwellers about the unresolved sewage which they said was hazardous.

According to the city, the purpose of the audit is to identify illegal occupiers who have erected structures on top of the main sewer line.

Neo Goba, Deputy Director of Communications in the office of the MMC said, “The main challenges are the occupiers had built their properties on top of the sewer line and collapsed the Hostel main sewer system, resulting in sewer discharge back to household homes, creating unintended health and safety problems.”

Goba said there were plans to remove the occupiers on the sewer line and Joburg Water will be roped in to upgrade the sewer line to ensure that the services are functional.

However, the audit has been met with resistance by some community members who opposed the city’s decision to move them.

Residents also said they felt forgotten and disregarded by the government as they had no access to proper housing and basic service delivery needs.

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Nonozi Dlamini, a resident at the hostel who now forms part of the locals conducting the audit said they wanted to see the hostel in a better condition.

“This is not a new thing, the pipes are always blocked and the water spills in front of our home doors. It has been happening for a long time and the smell is awful.

“There are many children whom we have come across since we started the audits who look like they were born sick or have mental illness, we don’t understand if it’s because of water or what.”

Buthelezi is among the group of locals who go door to door collecting data of the number of individuals per household including the number of tenants (shack dwellers).

“As residents, we are happy that action is being taken however we want them to attend to issues concerning this hostel.

“This place is falling apart, the sewage is not the only issue here, we still have an electricity crisis and there is also the issue of title deeds which some have been waiting for over 30 years,” she said.

The city has said it was not in a position to give a date regarding the completion of the audit but would be engaging with the ward Cllr ,Tebogo Mhlari to facilitate a meeting with all relevant project stakeholders so that the issues of timelines can be addressed.

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