“Does the government even care?”
Wattville Hostel received an oversight visit on March 22 from the following people:
•Ward 29 Clr Haseena Ismail
•Democratic Alliance(DA) Shadow Minister for Human Settlements, Solly Malatsi
•Member of Parliament (MP), DA Constituency Head: Benoni, Michele Clarke MPL
•DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Human Settlements, Cirota, MPL.
With a total of 3 500 people living at the Wattville Hostel, residents are exposed to raw sewage, leaking roofs, crumbling building infrastructure, numerous water leaks, dumped animal waste and carcasses, dilapidated toilets and illegal and unsafe electricity connections on a daily basis.
“The province has abandoned hostels,” said Cirota.
As the group was taken on a tour through the premises it was apparent that several residents are unemployed and seek employment as a means of improving their living conditions.
Women have opened up a restaurant within the hostel to make ends meet.
“We are not happy living here,” said a resident, Shakira Mkhize.
According to Sabelo Nhlengethwa, the Premier of Gauteng, David Makhura, visited the hostel around October 2015.
Makhura allegedly promised residents that he had obtained a demolition certificate to demolish the buildings and to rebuild at the beginning of 2016.
Residents would be moved to Modderbee while the rebuilding was taking place.
“He said they would rebuild each block portion by portion,” said Nhlengethwa.
Nhlengethwa said the municipality had employed people to clean the premises although there are only eight people who work there.
The workers work seven days a week with little equipment to work with.
Clarke was adamant that the party would drive the issue to a higher level, which would in turn put pressure on the municipality to rectify the problem.
“I have approached the municipality to try and maintain the building but I was told that, that would not happen due to the redevelopment plans,” said Ismail.
Ismail said she would appeal to the municipality to have a clean-up campaign in the area that would involve residents.
Also see: Crystal Park CPF to elect new committee
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