Khayelitsha Residents up in Arms Over Poor Sanitation and “Crumbling” Homes

On Thursday, hundreds of people marched in Khayelitsha, demanding the City and provincial government address a range of issues.

On Thursday, hundreds of people under the banner of the South African National Civic Organisation, marched to sub council 10 at the Khayelitsha Training Centre to protest over a number of issues.

They want the provincial government to resume the Kuyasa Retrofit Project, the City of Cape Town to assume responsibility for the issuing of fire kits to fire victims, and better sanitation in informal settlements.

Ludwe Varha, deputy chairperson of Khayelitsha SANCO, said the province had been fixing defective RDP houses, but had stopped without finishing work in Kuyasa.

‘’The project was abruptly stopped while a long list of beneficiaries awaited assistance,’’ he said.

Varha said SANCO wants the project to resume.

Community leader Mhimhi Makhaphela said, “The houses have cracks and look as if they will crumble.’’

“The rain comes in through the cracks in the walls and drenches the houses inside,’’ she said.

SANCO also wants the City to take responsibility for supplying fire victims with fire kits. Varha said, “We sent many requests to the National Department of Human Settlements for fire kits, but we were not assisted.’’

“The national government is slow to supply fire victims with fire kits, while the City is quick to do so,’’ he said.

Ward 99 Councillor Lonwabo Mqina, also the chairperson of Cape Peninsula SANCO, said SANCO asked the City in March last year to put up 1,000 chemical toilets for 7,000 families in Monwabisi Park.

‘’We received only 100 chemical toilets,’’ he said. “Residents defecate and urinate while people are watching because they have no toilets. Absence of toilets strips them of their dignity.’’

SANCO also wants the City to hire janitors for areas currently without them by the end of this month.

“We have informal settlements like Monwabisi Park that have been without janitors for more than six months,’’ he said.

Mqina criticised the City’s new criteria of grade 10 as a requirement to be hired as a janitor.

Sub council 10 manager Mandlenkosi Sithonga and City liaison officer Yanga Damani received SANCO’s memorandum. Sithonga said he would immediately forward it to Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.

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