It might be 23 years after the dawn of democracy in South Africa, but there are some communities that still do not have basic services like electricity and sanitation provided by the government. C-Section in Duncan Village in East London, is just one of many cases.
Residents of Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality use the Mayor’s report back to lash out at the City for lack of service delivery, especially in informal settlements.
Cape Town Councillor for Transport and Urban Development announced the City’s intention to take over management of commuter rail. Cosatu differs, saying that public transport must be the responsibility of higher tiers of government, as well as warning of a political ploy
Following the senseless murder of 11 people last weekend, the residents of Marikana informal settlement with the Social Justice Coalition marched in Cape Town and handed memorandums to the City of Cape Town, SAPS, IPID, the Department of Community Safety and the Police Ombudsman, demanding better policing and services to the area.
Throughout the water restrictions in Cape Town there has been a narrative that accusses the black working class in townships of wasting municipal water. The accusations have gotten worse after the City of Cape Town introduced level 5 water restrictions which entail a ban on all uses of municipal drinking-quality water for outside and non-essential purposes. Out on fact-finding mission, Elitsha found out that people in informal settlements only use up to 4% of total of municipal water.
The City of Cape Town has warned carwash business operators that the washing of vehicles with municipal drinking water is illegal. The stern warning follows the recent launch of Level 5 water restrictions.
Sweet Home Farm shack dwellers are not prepared to move to new houses built by the City of Cape Town. They say the houses are very small and there is no enough space for children to play.
The project is part of Bontle Ke Botho, an initiative aimed at mobilising communities and other relevant stakeholders to work with government to promote a clean and green environment. At its core is the fight against poverty and unemployment.
The gentrification that is taking place in central Johannesburg has left families evicted from Fattis Mansions last month, stranded in tents set up in a stadium south of the city. In what is effectively a refugee camp, the living conditions are bad. The Mayor of Johannesburg, Herman Mashaba from the Democratic Alliance, is an advocate for gentrification of the inner city, not the rights of the people living there.
An unfinished block of flats in River Park near Alexandra township north of Johannesburg has infuriated the local residents who scramble for every piece of land for human settlement. They recently invaded the flats that were built in 2009 but left incomplete. Now wanting to make their occupation permanent, they want to know who owns the flats and why they have been left in that condition.
“I have lost goods worth almost R45,000 and I do not know how I will restart. I am running out of ideas. This is the third time my container was looted and burnt. When I noted my container was on fire I rushed to take out some goods but while I shoved the goods out some were busy looting so I ended up leaving everything to burn”
Another land activist and leader of the group of backyarders from Town 2 who are occupying land next to Khayelitsha Magistrate court has been killed. Philela Gilwa, 23 was stabbed in Khayelitsha on Saturday night.
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