The Buffalo City Metro (BCM) has invested R20-million to install water and sanitation infrastructure for the hundreds of residents of informal settlements in Mdantsane.
Silvertown, considered one of the biggest in Mdantsane, will also benefit from the multi-year project. The settlement was formed early last year when residents invaded municipal land.
They erected shacks after purchasing plots at cost of R300. The initiative will help curb a growing health hazard around Mdantsane that is plagued by illegal dumping and lack of proper sanitation.
Ward councillor Sakhumzi Caga said although the metro had tried to fight the land invasion, they had decided to provide for basic human needs instead. Caga said a total of 24 toilets would be built with taps in the area.
“We had a big problem with that informal settlement but now that they are already there, we can’t ignore that. We tried the solution of fencing off the area with a budget of more than R1-million in order to curb the crisis, but we are still waiting for the supply chain processes for that job to start,” he said.
Work on installing the necessary infrastructure started about three weeks ago, which has provided jobs for unemployed residents of the settlement. Residents said they believed their protest actions had assisted in speeding things up.
“The work is expected to be finished by February next year and we are confident that our working relationship with the new area committee is good,” said Caga. “Our next step will be to provide them with the big wheelie bins to fight illegal dumping in the area. That settlement was posing a health hazard for those residents and the surrounding areas.”
Area committee member Nokubonga Gola said the residents were happy about the project, however, they were complaining about the location of the toilets, saying it was too far from the shacks.
“They will build the toilets in two areas, each part will have one row of about 10 toilets with the taps but these are very far from the people. The most painful part is that we have disabled and elderly people who won’t be able to make it to these toilets, especially at night,” Gola said. — mamelag@dispatch.co.za
Boost for Mdantsane as BCM invests R20m in infrastructure
Silvertown, considered one of the biggest in Mdantsane, will also benefit from the multi-year project. The settlement was formed early last year when residents invaded municipal land.
They erected shacks after purchasing plots at cost of R300. The initiative will help curb a growing health hazard around Mdantsane that is plagued by illegal dumping and lack of proper sanitation.
Ward councillor Sakhumzi Caga said although the metro had tried to fight the land invasion, they had decided to provide for basic human needs instead. Caga said a total of 24 toilets would be built with taps in the area.
“We had a big problem with that informal settlement but now that they are already there, we can’t ignore that. We tried the solution of fencing off the area with a budget of more than R1-million in order to curb the crisis, but we are still waiting for the supply chain processes for that job to start,” he said.
Work on installing the necessary infrastructure started about three weeks ago, which has provided jobs for unemployed residents of the settlement. Residents said they believed their protest actions had assisted in speeding things up.
“The work is expected to be finished by February next year and we are confident that our working relationship with the new area committee is good,” said Caga. “Our next step will be to provide them with the big wheelie bins to fight illegal dumping in the area. That settlement was posing a health hazard for those residents and the surrounding areas.”
Area committee member Nokubonga Gola said the residents were happy about the project, however, they were complaining about the location of the toilets, saying it was too far from the shacks.
“They will build the toilets in two areas, each part will have one row of about 10 toilets with the taps but these are very far from the people. The most painful part is that we have disabled and elderly people who won’t be able to make it to these toilets, especially at night,” Gola said. — mamelag@dispatch.co.za
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos