Residents of Tjovitjo informal settlement are subjected to inhumane conditions that are against what is enshrined in the constitution as basic human rights as water trucks have been allegedly barred from entering or leaving the area.
DA PR Councillor, Nonhlanhla Sifumba, told Orange Farm News: “This community is constantly subjected to not having water for days on end. The residents are forced to fetch water in order to cook, bath, do their laundry and drink from a nearby river/stream. Trucks that normally deliver water in the area were allegedly stopped by a certain group, that claims that the trucks moving in and out of the area damage the road infrastructure. From where I stand, that does not in any way justify denying water to people who live in that area.”
The matter has been escalated to the City of Joburg’s Executive Mayor Thapelo Amad, who undertook to liaise with the Environment and Infrastructure Services Department’s MMC.
The DA Caucus provided counsel to the Mayor to look into roping in the Public Safety MMC in order to find a permanent solution to this.
“We look forward to receiving positive feedback from the Mayor and MMCs in charge as to how they are going to ensure that people of Tjovitjo have consistent, reliable supply of water – a basic human right, without interference. This can easily create or lead to health related outbreaks that the City may struggle to handle. Therefore, we beseech the Mayor and the Executive in charge to expeditiously prioritise this request,” Sifumba added.
