Residents of the Makause, Angelo, Delmore and Marathon informal settlements were introduced to the re-blocking programme – an initiative to decongest informal settlements in order to upscale service delivery, last Friday.
Visiting these areas as part of the mayoral Siyaqhuba Service Delivery programme, Ekurhuleni’s executive mayor, Clr Mzwandile Masina, said re-blocking was important to restore the dignity of people in informal settlements, while waiting for housing developments.
Re-blocking will ensure that informal settlements are accessible, through the grading of roads, while essential services such as electricity and waste services are provided, among other things.
“While new chemical toilets are being phased in, channelling of storm water systems and establishing formalised dumping sites has begun.
“Ward councillors in these areas will, further, meet with the communities to formally educate residents about the re-blocking process,” Masina said.
During the visits the mayor also interacted with members of the community who raised various concerns, especially around issues of crime and the lack of recreational facilities in these areas.
Another issue that was brought to the mayor’s attention was a lack of lighting, which exposes people to crime.
“We heard the community and their issues were genuine; I have since instructed the officials to immediately intervene,” he said.
“Work must begin on any issue that can be sorted out immediately.
“For instance, we were told about street lights not functioning along Main Reef Road, near the Angelo informal settlement, and that issue was immediately resolved.
“It must be understood that the purpose of Siyaqhuba is to accelerate service delivery while testing public opinion about the services we render to the community.”
The mayor’s visit to the informal settlements was the fourth edition of Siyaqhuba, which has already taken the mayor and the mayoral committee to Tembisa, Katlehong and Tsakane.
Reacting to the mayor’s visit, Pieter Chokoe, a resident of the Angelo informal settlement, said: “If the mayor didn’t come we wouldn’t have known that the reason our toilets are being phased out was to make way for an even better system.”
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