Latest news with #Emfuleni
Mail & Guardian
6 days ago
- Business
- Mail & Guardian
Sanitation crisis in Ramaphosa informal settlement dehumanises people
There is a sanitation crisis In numerous informal settlements around South Africa. Photo: Sewage waste. Delwyn Verasamy/M&G There is a sanitation crisis in the Ramaphosa informal settlement in Emfuleni, Vereeniging, Gauteng. On 20 May, Eyewitness News reported that residents were forced to use buckets and pit latrines to relieve themselves because the mobile toilets had not been cleaned for several months. Frieda Veeris, who lives in Ramaphosa, expressed her dissatisfaction with the situation and told of the unbearable stench and the maggots in the toilet bowls. She was concerned that her family would be vulnerable to infections from the toilets. The sanitation crisis is not only an inhumane injustice to the people living in this informal settlement but also an environmental issue that is overlooked and often ignored by the government. The inequality experienced by the residents of Ramaphosa has affected their health, because the failure to clean the mobile toilets has resulted in constant illnesses. The suspension of environmental services means people living in informal settlements such as Ramaphosa are prone to premature death and reproductive issues, especially women and girls, because they contract infections. The degrading living conditions in Ramaphosa informal settlement dehumanise people. This is the dismantling of a black community, a violence with compounding issues. The ablution facilities have not been serviced because the Emfuleni local government says it does not have the money to pay for it. It has prioritised the economy over human lives. While residents continue to battle the sanitation crisis, the Emfuleni municipality has responded with a request for residents to give them five more months to clean the toilets. How are people expected to survive in these five months? Although the national government has set clear targets for housing, implementation at the municipal level is an issue, with reports of corruption and mismanagement hindering progress. But corruption should not be an excuse for lack of accountability and action. This further increases the gap between the elites and the poor, where the poor always get the short end of the stick, almost reproducing the injustices of apartheid. It could be argued that informal settlements are spreading rapidly because people are occupying land and erecting shacks without going through the appropriate channels. OFM news reporter Kekeletso Mosebetsi reported that President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed concern regarding the prevalence of informal settlements during a door-to-door campaign trail in Botshabelo, Bloemfontein. The RDP programme has a huge backlog with more than 2.4 million households still in need of their promised house. Experts have further warned that the housing issue could continue to rise to a predicted 71% by the year 2030. The National Development Plan, which was introduced in 2012 as a vision for 2030, is said to aim to unite South Africa, unleash the energies of its citizens, build an inclusive economy, enhance the state and leaders working together to solve complex problems. This is in the very first line of the NDP page online. South Africa is plagued by unemployment, electricity issues, a healthcare system that is slowly deteriorating and informal settlements that are predominantly populated by black people who continue to live in unbearable conditions with their rights constantly being violated. With only five years left until 2030, perhaps it is time we face the reality that the vision is all that it is — a vision. The government should look back at the National Development Plan and the 31 years of democracy and see what it has achieved. Kabelo Motswagae holds an MA in sociology from the University of Johannesburg and Nokuthula Pheza is a PhD candidate in the Department of Sociology, University of Johannesburg.
The Citizen
23-05-2025
- The Citizen
Two years later: Sedibeng's missing mayoral chain still a mystery
Nearly two years after the disappearance of a lavish R465,000 mayoral chain from the Sedibeng District Municipality, key questions about its ownership, loss, and recovery remain unanswered. Despite formal inquiries and political pressure, neither Sedibeng District Municipality, nor the Emfuleni Local Municipality has provided clarity — and the chain itself is still missing. What first appeared to be a simple case of theft has since become a bizarre story of what appears to be municipal mismanagement, blurred lines of responsibility, and official silence. A golden symbol vanishes The gold mayoral chain — a ceremonial symbol of office — was last seen on June 23, 2023, following Sedibeng's State of the District Address (SODA). According to a February 2024 press statement by DA Emfuleni North Constituency Head, Kingsol Chabalala MPL, a criminal case of theft was only opened on November 12, 2023, prompting concerns about the delayed response. The Democratic Alliance questioned why the chain's disappearance was not immediately reported to police, raising suspicions of negligence or possible cover-up. They also noted that Mayor Lerato Maloka had previously been linked to another incident involving sabotage of her municipal vehicle. The twist: The chain belongs to Emfuleni In March 2025, Sedibeng councillor Lynda Parsonson revealed a startling twist: the missing chain may never have belonged to Sedibeng at all. According to her, a former Sedibeng mayor — Simon Mofokeng — allegedly swapped Sedibeng's original chain for Emfuleni's during his time in office. 'After official engagements, it was generally handed over to security officials to be secured in the municipal safe,' Parsonson wrote. 'However, after one event, the mayor decided to retain the chain and instead lock it in a cupboard in her office. The chain has not been seen since.' Even more striking, Parsonson stated that councillors were not informed of the disappearance until much later and that council is still waiting for a police report. Municipal Silence To verify this complex situation, Vaalweekblad sent formal queries to Sedibeng Communications Coordinator Reggie Moiloa and Spokesperson for the Emfuleni Local Municipality Makhosonke Sangweni on March 25, requesting responses to 12 specific questions regarding: *The chain's ownership, *Whether the asset exchange was documented or authorised, *The timing and nature of the theft report, *Cooperation with police, *Insurance claims, and *Possible consequences for the municipality. Initially, neither municipality responded. However, in a brief reply to a follow-up enquiry, Sangweni stated: 'The matter belongs to Sedibeng District Municipality and all we know is that the matter is before courts and shall await for the final outcome.' No further details were provided, and Sedibeng has remained silent. This limited response comes despite The Citizen reporting in February 2024 that the chain belonged to Emfuleni — and despite ongoing public calls for accountability. No resolution, no accountability To date no arrests have been made, no offical explanation has been provided for the delayed theft report and neither municipality has confirmed responsibility or insurance coverage. The chain remains unaccounted for What should have been a straightforward investigation has devolved into a bureaucratic mystery. The public, meanwhile, is left in the dark about how a R465,000 asset could vanish — apparently without consequence. A Symbol of Dysfunction Beyond the missing gold, the case seems to reveal deeper issues: poor asset management, confusion over municipal property, and a worrying lack of transparency. If the chain was never Sedibeng's to begin with, why did they use it? Why did they report it stolen under their name? And why, nearly two years later, are basic questions still being ignored? Unless authorities speak out, the chain will remain not only missing — but a symbol of dysfunction in Sedibeng's leadership. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
A cry for dignity amid the garbage
COLUMN – What happened at the Vereeniging Civic Centre on Wednesday was not mere disorder—it was a desperate cry for dignity. Residents of Duncanville, fed up with months of uncollected refuse, dumped their trash at the doorstep of the Emfuleni Local Municipality's Service Delivery and Revenue Enhancement Summit. Bags were torn open, their contents strewn across the entrance, an unfiltered symbol of municipal failure. How do you ask people to pay for services that don't exist? Residents like Nelmarie Ruysch raised valid concerns: refuse bills are paid under threat of power cuts, yet rubbish piles up, flies swarm, and rats breed. Meanwhile, the municipality hosts catered summits discussing service delivery—while failing to deliver. Officials blamed the lack of fleet, but residents pointed to waste trucks seen buying alcohol or sitting idle. The contradiction between what's promised and what is delivered couldn't be starker. This protest was not so much about politics. It was about the basic right to a clean, safe environment. The public's faith in Emfuleni's administration is eroding not because of political rhetoric, but because of decaying infrastructure, poor communication, and worsening quality of life. The protest should not be dismissed as rowdy—it should be remembered as a moment when ordinary residents demanded to be seen, heard, and served. If this municipality is serious about service delivery, then it must start with the trash at its own doorstep. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
