Latest news with #informalSettlements
Zawya
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
South Africa: Human Settlements Committee Receives Update on Petitions With Varying Degrees of Satisfaction
The Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements has received updates from the Department of Human Settlements, the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements, and the City of Johannesburg, City of Tshwane and City of Cape Town on various petitions the committee is considering and has highlighted mixed reactions to the reports. The committee remains of the view that all stakeholders must not rest on their laurels in bringing finality to the petitions. SLOVO PARK INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS UPGRADING The committee welcomed the progress made by both the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements and the City of Johannesburg, including the completion of the electrification of households. Also, the committee welcomed the appointment of Joburg Water for the installation of water and sewage infrastructure. The committee has highlighted that in the context of the history of the promises made to the residents of Slovo Park, the movement is welcomed, albeit long overdue. The committee also welcomed the collaboration between the City of Johannesburg and the provincial department to achieve the medium and long-term interventions planned for the area. The committee has also urged all stakeholders to expedite procurement and other related processes to ensure the achievement of targets. Also, the committee welcomed the assurance that community engagements and sharing of information with residents have been enhanced to ensure a free flow of information between the government and the people. 'The issue of stakeholder engagement is critical to allay fears and eliminate any flare-up of protests. It is critical that as new developments arise and some impediments delay projects, people are informed,' said Mr Nocks Seabi, the Chairperson of the committee. MAWIGA PETITION Members of the committee were disappointed with the slow response to finding solutions to the petitioners' challenges. While the committee acknowledged that there is progress with sites identified and agreed to by two petitioners, the fact that the building of top structures will only commence next year is concerning. Despite this, the committee called for clear monitoring of the progress to ensure that timelines are adhered to, especially in the context of the length of time it has taken to get to this point. The MAWIGA (Mabopane, Winterveld and Ga-Rankuwa petitioners) submitted a petition alleging maladministration against the City of Tshwane and North West Housing Corporation officials for illegally selling and transferring their properties without their consent. The committee has called on the City of Tshwane and the Gauteng Provincial Government to expedite the processes to obtain the clearance certificate on the identified land for Mr Mere. The committee has mandated the city to provide regular progress reports on processes to obtain the clearance certificate. With regards to the North West Provincial Government, the committee is concerned that the Rustenburg Municipality does not have the appetite to approve a house on the military veteran's quantum on the site identified because the site is on prime land. The committee has called on the department to heighten engagement to ensure that an alternative site is found and that Mr Kgasoe is engaged to ascertain that he agrees with the site. Despite these challenges, the committee noted that commendable work has been done to resolve the petitions. New Mandela Square (Western Cape) The committee has welcomed commendable progress in achieving the project milestones promised to the committee. Despite this, the committee has called for mechanisms to ensure that the implementation of the projects is not hampered by inter-departmental dependencies, such as the procurement of private land and installation of bulk services. The committee is cognisant that in most cases, projects are affected by delays from varying spheres of government and has called for proactive measures to ensure that this does not hamper progress. The committee remains committed to receiving regular reports to ensure the resolution of the various petitions being considered by the committee. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.
Telegraph
05-07-2025
- General
- Telegraph
GCSE board bans word ‘squatter' over diversity concerns
Geography GCSE exams have banned the term 'squatter settlements' because the phrase is considered inappropriate. The wording will be removed from exam papers from September and will be replaced with 'informal settlements', according to the OCR exam board. The phrase was removed 'to ensure more appropriate terminology', the exam board said. It made the change as part of a package of ' equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging' updates to the qualification, which will be introduced to pupils in the next academic year. A squatter settlement, or squat, is a piece of land where people live that they do not legally own, rent or have permission to occupy. The areas are also known as slums or shanty towns. The specification, seen by The Telegraph, said: 'We have replaced 'squatter settlements' with 'informal settlements'. ''Squatter settlements' have been removed to ensure more appropriate terminology.' Other changes include making debt relief an example of international aid rather than a separate alternative to it. 'We have reframed this content as the focus is on international aid, debt relief does not have to be covered', the exam board explained. Prof David Abulafia, the professor emeritus of Mediterranean history at the University of Cambridge, said educational bodies were 'papering over the truth by coming up with jargonistic formulations'. He added: 'It's just getting worse and worse. [These changes] do not solve any problems for anyone.' The change is part of a wider trend of institutions updating their language guides to be seen as more inclusive. In February, The Telegraph revealed that European Union officials had been warned against using words such as 'tradesman' and 'man-made'. The guidance, issued by the European Commission, also takes aim at the phrase 'man in the street', saying 'the average person' should be used instead. Demands to decolonise geography in particular, led by activist students and lecturers, have also spread across UK universities over the past year. Kathryn Yusoff, an academic at Queen Mary University of London, said geology was 'riven by systemic racism' and colonialism. She also suggested palaeontology, the study of prehistoric life through fossils, was partly to blame for racism, labelling it 'pale-ontology'.
The Herald
26-06-2025
- Climate
- The Herald
Weather warnings as intense cold front sweeps across Cape provinces
Cape Town's disaster operations centre confirmed reports of flooding, fallen trees and debris hours after an icy cold front made landfall on Wednesday in the Western Cape. Reports of localised flooding were received from several areas including Vygieskraal, Parkwood, Bonnytoun, Gxagxa informal settlement, Lotus Park, Klipfontein Rd/Barcelona, Phola Park, Imizamo Yethu, Hangberg and Overcome Heights. 'Earlier, requests for flood kits from some residents in Lwandle, Macassar and Khayelitsha were escalated to the city's informal settlements management branch,' said disaster risk management spokesperson Sonica Lategan.
The Herald
27-05-2025
- General
- The Herald
‘Finish what we started': Simelane urges provinces to complete upgrades to informal settlements
Human settlements minister Thembi Simelane has urged all provinces to prioritise housing projects that have not been completed. Simelane made the remarks after six family members died when their shack caught fire in Marikana Informal settlement in Kwa-Thema, east of Johannesburg. She said the department has been inundated after several disasters over the past few weeks, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape. 'The unfortunate incidents in our informal settlements are a clear sign that we should accelerate and invest in the upgrading of informal settlements and commit to finishing all the stalled projects around the country. This will enable qualifying beneficiaries to have access to decent shelter, prevent loss of life and improve the quality of household life', said Simelane. She said the department plans to upgrade just over 4,000 informal settlements during the course of the 2024-29 Medium Term Development Plan. Simelane underscored the importance of collaboration among all stakeholders in dealing with informal settlements around the country. This includes the government, the private sector, NGOs and communities. In response to the incident in Ekurhuleni, Simelane has tasked the Emergency Housing Unit, a team responsible for disasters within the department of human settlements, to work with the Gauteng department of human settlements and the City of Ekurhuleni to assist the affected household. TimesLIVE
News24
09-05-2025
- Climate
- News24
Saturday's weather: Fine for most regions, but rainfall for some
Expect fine and sunny conditions across most parts of the country, with warm to hot temperatures during the day, according to the South African Weather Service. Coastal regions such as Cape Town and George may experience some wind and rain, while Durban and Richards Bay will see scorching temperatures. Impact-based warnings Yellow Level 4 warning: Damaging winds leading to difficulty in navigation at sea and possible damage to informal settlements are expected between Saldanna Bay and Plettenberg Bay. Yellow Level 4 warning: Damaging waves leading to difficulty in navigation at sea for small vessels and personal watercraft are expected between Table Bay and Plettenberg Bay. Yellow Level 2 warning: Damaging winds leading to difficulty in navigation at sea and possible damage to informal settlements are expected along the coast between Plettenberg Bay and East London. Yellow Level 2 warning: Damaging waves resulting in difficulty in navigation and small vessels taking on water and possibly capsising within a locality are expected along the coast between Plettenberg Bay and Port Elizabeth from the evening, spreading to Port Edward. Yellow Level 2 warning: Damaging winds leading to localised problems for high-sided vehicles on prone routes are expected over the southern parts of the Northern Cape, the central and the eastern parts of the Western Cape, as well as the central and the northern parts of the Eastern Cape. Advisories Very cold, wet and windy conditions are expected over the Karoo Hoogland local municipality in the Northern Cape and the Witzenberg local municipality in the Western Cape. Strong to gale force north-westerly winds are expected in places over Chris Hani and Joe Gqabi district municipalities in the Eastern Cape, while westerly to south-westerly winds accompanied with rough seas are expected in places along the coast between Plettenberg Bay and Peddie until Sunday. Rainfall & severe weather charts for today & tomorrow, 9 - 10 May 2025. Isolated to scattered showers & thundershowers are expected over the south western interior, with possible damaging winds tomorrow, 10 May 2025. #saws #weatheroutlook #southafricanweather — SA Weather Service (@SAWeatherServic) May 9, 2025 Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North West and Free State: Fine. Pretoria: 10°C — 25°C Johannesburg: 6°C — 23°C Vereeniging: 7°C — 24°C Mbombela: 12°C — 26°C Polokwane: 9°C — 25°C Mahikeng: 10°C — 25°C Vryburg: 7°C — 26°C Bloemfontein: 6°C — 24°C Northern Cape: Fine and windy. Kimberley: 9°C — 26°C Upington: 10°C — 26°C Western Cape: Cloudy and windy with scattered showers and rain. Expect strong to near-gale force west to north-westerly wind, moderating from late afternoon. Cape Town: 14°C — 19°C George: 13°C — 23°C Eastern Cape: Fine becoming partly cloudy, but cloudy from the Light north-westerly in the morning, otherwise moderate to fresh south-westerly, becoming strong in the evening. Gqeberha: 13°C — 24°C East London: 17°C — 26°C KwaZulu-Natal: Fine with light to moderate northerly to north-westerly wind, becoming north-easterly from late morning. Durban: 19°C — 30°C Richards Bay: 18°C — 32°C Pietermaritzburg: 11°C — 29°C *This weather report was written with the support of Toqan AI.
