For years, communities have been hearing promises relating to the formalisation of informal settlements and waiting patiently for anything to come to fruition. With every protest, a ‘there is a budget to upgrade the settlement’ response is received, and now, for two Region C informal settlements, the promises are finally being fulfilled.
Earlier in March, the MMC for Housing, Mlungisi Mabaso, was joined by officials from the Department of Housing to conduct oversight visits to the Rugby Club informal settlement and the Matholesville informal settlement. The MMC stated that the visits were to ensure that the department’s key performance indicators (KPIs) will be implemented correctly.
After conducting the site visits and receiving a comprehensive brief regarding the formalisations, the MMC happily announced that despite challenges faced by both settlements, officials are on track to ensure that basic services, such as water, electricity, and sewerage systems will be installed. The formalisation is set to begin within the next few weeks.
Mabaso also brought up the several issues faced by these settlements, including unhealthy living conditions, filth, over-crowding, illegal mining, refuse collection challenges, and more, but said that he has been assured that these issues will be attended to as a matter of urgency, with the deadline being before the end of the financial year. “Furthermore, officials have committed themselves to carrying out our mandate with due diligence, and I have no doubt that they will be able to fulfil this task,” continued the MMC confidently.
A social survey was conduced with the goal of enabling the relevant teams to develop a layout plan that is inclusive of the residents in the informal settlements. The MMC further stated that he would use the next few weeks to assess the progress of service delivery in these areas to ensure that the teams work quickly and efficiently to close service delivery gaps.
“It must be noted that this is an interim phase of the formalisation of informal settlements. In the next few years, we will establish a formal township in the area which will improve their livelihoods,” said the MMC.
Mabaso continued to say that he has plans to visit other informal settlements that have been identified for upgrades, but unfortunately, his office has confirmed that Princess informal settlement was not included in these plans. This is despite numerous comments from the City of Johannesburg municipality that the Ward 71 informal settlement upgrades are in the budget.
The MMC said residents need to be patient as the City attempts to accommodate as many residents as possible by providing interim relief in the form of basic services and readdressing the sanitation backlog in informal settlements, among other issues.
Questions have been sent to the office of the MMC to enquire about why Princess is not in the upgrade plans as yet, and as soon as a response is received, an update will be published.
