De Lille promises to sort out sanitation
Weekly communication with Masiphumelele residents part of solution
PUBLIC Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane, human rights commissioner Chris Nissen and Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille visited the township of Masiphumelele, near Noordhoek, about sanitation issues in the area.
There have been several complaints there about broken toilets and sewage, which flows into the canals.
De Lille has said that as a result of the high densities in Masiphumelele and to improve the conditions in the area and address health risks, the City provides cleaning services seven days a week.
“Despite the challenges the City is facing in the area, we are committed to finding sustainable and integrated solutions to improve the living conditions of the community through enhanced service delivery.
“I receive weekly reports detailing the specific cleaning interventions in the area and the City has further undertaken a campaign to communicate with residents directly in order to assist in stemming the tide of solid waste blockages in the area,” said De Lille.
Cleopatra Mosana, the spokesperson for Mkhwebane, said that the outcome of yesterday was that they agreed that the public protector would be a mediator and see that issues of service delivery were addressed. She said that all parties should work together to find a lasting solution.
Human Rights commissioner Chris Nissen said they received a complaint about sanitation in Masiphumelele in 2013.
“The last few months we engaged with community members about the issue. The City of Cape Town has come to the party in terms of cleaning the canals, but there are bigger issues such as land and a need for more toilets,” he said.