30 families sharing one toilet in Thokoza hostel, says DA

As if living in squalor is not enough, more than 30 families in one block reportedly share a single toilet at Thokoza hostel in Ekurhuleni.

The revelation was made on Tuesday by DA shadow MEC for human settlements and cooperative government in Gauteng Mervyn Cirota.

“The living conditions that our residents at Mshayazafe hostel and Empilisweni informal settlements are exposed to are appalling, unsanitary and not suitable for human habitation,” Cirota said.

Cirota accused the Gauteng department of human settlements of a failure to meet its quarterly targets and subjecting citizens to desperate and undignified conditions.

He said that this came to light in the fourth quarterly report of the department for the 2020-21 financial year.

Among other things that the department has been accused of failing to accomplish includes the hand over of 500 land parcels to beneficiaries and 7,375 land release parcel opportunities on serviced sites provided by the private sector.

It said that only 218 land release parcels were procured.

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“Furthermore, they did not achieve planned target to formalise 37 townships, to convert three hostel projects into family units and to complete 30 family units at hostels which are under construction. The department failed to meet its target of providing interim services support to 63 informal settlements and to provide phase two upgrading of two informal settlements.”

He said the government should prioritise delivering dignified family units, considering the appalling living conditions hostel residents across the province are exposed to on a daily basis.

Ekurhuleni mayoral spokesperson Phaki Mbengashe could not comment on the matter as he said the DA’s statement addressed human settlements MEC Lebohang Maile.

“This statement by the DA is referred to the MEC not the mayor, therefore we cannot comment,” Mbengashe said.

The Gauteng MEC for human settlements could not be reached for a comment as his phone rang unanswered.