Nameless streets leave residents helpless
"The community will engage the metro as soon as they have chosen their preferred names, collected using a democratic process where they select the names themselves."
Streets in informal settlements in Skoonplaas and Cloverfield are left without names, which negatively affects the quality of life of the residents.
A non-governmental organisation (NGO) called Planact will be facilitating the name changes.
According to Planact’s resource and communications coordinator, Chelsea Ndlovu: “Planact is not your usual ‘do-good’ NGO that drops food parcels off for destitute communities.
“In keeping with its vision of participatory democracy, Planact prefers to facilitate processes which will allow people to take ownership of initiatives.”
When asked about contacting the metro about this issue, Ndlovu stated: “The municipality will be engaged when the community has gathered enough evidence of the effects of being disadvantaged and receiving poor service delivery because of lack of street names.
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“The community will engage the metro as soon as they have chosen their preferred names, collected using a democratic process where they select the names themselves.
“They want to avoid a situation such as in Cosmo City, Joburg North, where the municipality used names of other countries which they cannot resonate with.
“Community volunteers have started mapping the area and will erect the signs themselves.
“Most informal settlements in the City of Ekurhuleni do not have street names, leading to them not receiving proper basic services and emergency services, which they need the most,” said Ndlovu.
The metro has failed to respond in time for publication.
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