Latest news with #DepartmentofHumanSettlements
Eyewitness News
4 days ago
- Business
- Eyewitness News
Ramaphosa informal settlement sanitation crises to be addressed by next week: Maile
JOHANNESBURG - Gauteng Finance MEC Lebogang Maile is confident that the sanitation crisis at the Ramaphosa informal settlement in Emfuleni will be addressed by next week. Maile made the announcement during the re-tabling of his budget speech on Tuesday. He said that R300 million had been allocated to the Department of Human Settlements to specifically address sanitation issues. This follows an EWN report, revealing that portable toilets at the informal settlement had not been cleaned in four months. Mother of three Frieda Veeris's portable toilet was last cleaned on Valentine's Day. What's even more traumatic for her is having to use a toilet with worms all over the toilet bowl and seat. "I don't even want to go in. What happens if a worm finds its way into my private part? I use a bucket now. There's no other way." Maile said worry no more, as the toilets will soon be cleaned. "After we have presented the budget, go and check next week if the Ramaphosa informal settlement is receiving the service, so that we don't have budgets that are not spent when people actually have got needs." Maile said similar issues in other parts of the province would also be addressed.
Eyewitness News
24-05-2025
- General
- Eyewitness News
City says there's no money for water and toilets for Mamelodi settlement
Families living in Marikana informal settlement in Mamelodi have been living without proper access to basic services like toilets and running water for over eight years. Residents we spoke to say they've had no choice but to connect electricity and water illegally to survive. Many are unemployed and rely on social grants. Most of the more than 600 people who live on a flood line near the Pienaars River, first moved onto the land in 2016. They hoped that the City of Tshwane would eventually provide basic services until they were allocated RDP houses. But years later, nothing has changed and conditions at the settlement are deteriorating. Some households have dug their own pit toilets, but other relieve themselves in the surrounding bush. There is flowing sewage water in the potholed-streets. Illegal electric wires hang from poles overhead and inside yards. Households pay up to R350 a month to RDP homeowners in the neighbouring community to connect to electricity and water. Resident Lebogang Ngxila pays R250 to use electricity which was connected by community leaders to her home. She said she struggles to cook food for her family because the power supply isn't stable. 'It often trips early in the evening when most of us are cooking,' said Ngxila. Moses Malebana is one of several residents we spoke to who complained about a lack of road maintenance and electricity. He said they have to jump over puddles of dirty, smelling water next to their shacks. 'When some cars pass here at high speed, they splash my home with this dirty water,' said Malebana, who is unemployed. He said he could no longer afford to pay the electricity fee, so his illegal connection was switched off two months ago. He now boils water and cooks on a wood fire. Another resident, Nonhlanhla Galeka, lives with her boyfriend and their 11-month-old baby. She told GroundUp that she has to leave her baby alone in the shack each time she relieves herself at a neighbour's pit toilet 400 metres away. 'I cannot build a toilet in my yard because my stand is very small. This place is very cold because it is next to the river. My baby gets the flu very often,' she said. Galeka claims that several officials from the city previously visited the community on different occasions. She said the officials promised that they would get basic services and that they would be relocated to land more suitable for housing. Nonhlanhla Galeka says she has to leave her baby alone in her shack each time she goes to relieve herself at a neighbour's pit toilet 400 metres away. Ronald Nemakula said he applied for an RDP house in 2000 at the City's Department of Human Settlements, but he is still waiting. He built his shack in Marikana after spending many years waiting for the house. 'I want to be relocated to a safe place because life is difficult here,' he said. Gabeiel Nyodzani said that he relieves himself in the nearby bushes because he does not have a toilet in his yard. He said a lack of running water makes it difficult to cook and wash clothes. 'My life will be better if the municipality can give us chemical toilets and send trucks here to deliver water every week.' He added that when it rains, the river swells and floods their homes. City of Tshwane spokesperson Lindela Mashigo told GroundUp that the city does not have plans to formalise Marikana because the land is on a flood line and therefore isn't suitable for housing. Mashingo confirmed that there are plans to relocate 220 homes but would not give further details about this. Asked to respond to the residents' claims that the City promised to provide them with basic services, Mashigo said the City currently doesn't have funds to provide services to Marikana. On the illegal connections, the city says it plans to remove them and take action against those involved. This article first appeared on GroundUp. Read the original article here.
The South African
21-05-2025
- General
- The South African
RDP housing scam targets Joburg residents, City issues warning
An RDP housing scam is currently circulating in Johannesburg, with a fake poster falsely offering help with RDP housing applications. The City of Johannesburg's Department of Human Settlements has confirmed that the poster is fake. Scammers created it to trick unsuspecting residents. The phone numbers on the poster are not from any official government department. The City of Johannesburg says that no City official can skip the government's formal housing allocation process or offer 'special deals.' The government provides RDP homes free of charge only to eligible applicants. A scam poster tells people to send personal documents via WhatsApp to a number linked to a fake 'Mr. M Moleya.' It wrongly claims that RDP house applications are open for all provinces and offers free help. The City has denied any connection to this message. The South African government has warned the public about housing scams, with a significant alert issued in October 2024 by the Department of Human Settlements. These scams usually involve people pretending to be officials and saying they can sell or speed up the process for RDP houses, often using WhatsApp or social media. The government stresses that RDP houses are not for sale. You should not send money or personal documents through unofficial channels. Watch out for scam indicators like requests for money, promises of guaranteed housing, and fake officials using made-up names. Residents are advised to visit the Department of Human Settlements, located at 222 Smit Street, Braamfontein, for accurate and official information regarding RDP housing. Housing applications are free and must follow official government procedures. You do not need to pay or find a 'connection' to apply or check your status. Please do not share your personal information or banking details with strangers. If you have questions, contact the department directly or look for official updates on the City of Joburg's platforms. Let us know by leaving a comment below or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Also, subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Eyewitness News
18-05-2025
- Eyewitness News
9 churchgoers who died in crash on Mother's Day to be laid to rest on Sunday
JOHANNESBURG - The nine churchgoers who lost their lives on Mother's Day in a car crash in KwaZulu-Natal will be laid to rest on Sunday. It is understood that most of the victims who died in the minibus accident on the N2 after Mthuzini Toll Plaza were women. READ: Sixteen injured in Mother's Day crash that killed 8 congregants, receiving treatment in KZN hospitals The mass funeral of the Zion Christian Church congregants is taking place in Silethukukhayanya High School in Mtubatuba Municipality. The provincial transport department said that Sunday marked the final stage of mourning. Department's spokesperson Ndabezinhle Sibiya said: "We wish to draw the attention of the media to the following activities: Mkhwanazi family: this is a child-headed household following the death of Mama Winnie Nobuhle Mkhwanazi (52) on Mother's Day. The children are now orphans, with no source of income. To complicate matters, children are living in abject poverty and in a dilapidated mud house. Tomorrow, we will announce interventions by the Department of Human Settlements."
eNCA
14-05-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
Millions more needed for Tembisa mega housing project
JOHANNESBURG - Many more millions are needed to resuscitate the Tembisa Mega Housing Project, which has already cost the taxpayer R97-million. The Ekurhuleni Municipality project began in 2018 and was designed to deliver 3,510 housing units. Some of the buildings have their roofs, doors, windows and electrical sockets stripped off. The national Department of Human Settlements is now intervening to push the project to completion. Minister Thembi Simelane is engaging stakeholders about solutions to see the project over the line.
