GAUTENG MTBPS 2022
Gauteng MEC of Finance Jacob Mamabolo will present the 2022 Medium Term Budget Policy Statement to the Legislature today.
These are the views from the public.
Hammanskraal residents who have been subjected to consuming untreated and unhygienic water for more than two decades, want their municipality to prioritize the adoption of the forensic report on the Rooiwal water treatment plan, following an extensive investigation.
R300M was reportedly allocated towards a project that would see to the provision of clean water to Hammanskraal residents. However, none of these funds were used for the provision of clean water and the money is said to be unaccounted for.
Tumelo Khoitheng is the Chairperson of the Hammanskraal Residents Forum. His main concern is access to clean water for residents of Hammanskraal. He says that the continued failure of the Rooiwal l waste water works treatment plant to work optimally, has caused harm to residents who are finding themselves consuming untreated and unhygienic water. According to Khoitheng, the Leeuwkraal Dam, formerly known as the Temba Dam, must be dredged. “The water pipelines that supply the residents with water from the Temba water treatment plant has been a real disaster leading to healthcare facilities also being adversely affected.” says Khoitheng.
According to Khoitheng, clinics in section 2, rely entirely on water tanks for their water needs. “We need a project that focuses on water infrastructure development and one that will in the long run, result in our community having permanent access to clean and treated water. “Spending on supplying water by means of road tankers, is far more expensive in the long term” argues Khoitheng.
Jukulyn is a part of Soshanguve and is situated on the northern side of Tshwane. Unfortunately, Jukulyn is notorious for municipal employee attacks and high rates of crime against its residents.
Tebogo Mlambo, a community leader based in Block R and says that rampant crime in the area contributes to stalled service delivery or total lack thereof. “It is more common than not, for those responsible for service delivery implementation to request police to escort them in order for them to execute their duties.” asserts Mlambo. Mlambo also says that Soshanguve residents are under siege by criminals particularly during commute times. “Thugs target nearly everyone who has something valuable. No one is spared- courier companies, bakeries and furniture delivery trucks regularly fall victim to criminals.” cries Mlambo.
Furthermore, Mlambo laments that due to the crime surge in the area, ambulances no longer respond to calls to the area in cases of emergency. It is Mlambo’s strong view that Soshanguve is becoming a no-go area where those tasked with coming into the area to execute service delivery related duties are afraid to go to.
Mlambo’s request, is for 24-hour visible policing and for the municipality to allocate additional funds towards building and staffing of more police stations in the area.
Mlambo adds that he appreciates the community policing forums that have been formed by various groups of community members, who are largely young people in the area. He adds that “Their contribution includes patrols of the area, particularly during the times when thugs target the community. However, all these great initiatives require that those involved in community policing, receive adequate training.” Mlambo reports that some of the community policing forum members are sometimes stationed at the police station. “It will be great if these active citizens received some form of uniform.” suggests Mlambo, who also laments in closing “I know my work is important as a community leader but as community leaders we end up using our own money. The money spent is approximately R900.00 per month. I still have to pay my own bills. I personally feel drained physically, emotionally, and financially.”
Johannes Makama, a 63-year-old attorney also from Soshanguve tells a story of a Soshanguve resident’s gruesome discovery of a body of a 14-year-old on the 31st of December 2020. According to Makama, the body had been dumped at a field used as a rubbish dumbing site in Soshanguve. “The discovery of that body led me to take it upon myself to do something about this unofficial dumping site that had become a site for the desecration of a young child’s body.” says Makama. “I approached the city of Tshwane municipal office of Soshanguve and requested they assist the community with tools needed to clean up the site and provide soil to level the dump site that was quite steep. “Sadly, I did not get any assistance from the municipal office. They informed me that the municipality simply could not assist due to lack of resources.”sighs Makama.
Makama believes that there is value in converting unused spaces into recreational centers for young people so as to keep them busy in a positive way as opposed to them idling with nothing to do. “These open spaces end up being used as illegal dumping sites and spaces for criminal activities.” a concerned Makama adds.
Makama is certain that a decrease in abuse of drugs and alcohol use, will be noticeable if there are more recreational facilities for the youth. According to Makama, the prevalence of teenage pregnancies and other social ills should be of concern to those in power and he would like to see more funds being allocated to having structured dumping sites and well-equipped recreation centers for the youth.
It is Kgaugelo Musi’s strong assertion that loadshedding puts financial strain on local businesses.
Musi, is a 30-year-old owner and manager of Pipa’s foods, a fast-food establishment that sells a variety of confectionary and breads including the famous South African fast food staple, kota. Musi believes that load-shedding is a pandemic that is contributing to increased poverty and crime in the city.
Visibly frustrated, Musi says that load shedding has an adverse impact on his small business and fellow small business owners. “I’m honestly battling to make ends meet. Thanks to load shedding, I have a lot of stock loss. I find myself throwing away some of my stock due to lack of adequate refrigeration. I used to buy stock twice a week but due load shedding happening at any time, one is left unable to plan. Sometimes I under stock and end up losing customers.” says Musi.
It is Musi’s wish to see more funds being allocated to agencies and government departments whose mandates are to assist small businesses flourish. “These agencies play a crucial role and do support the growth of small businesses like mine. They provide necessary training required to run a successful business. Furthermore, if one has an existing business, they do help with taking it to the next level with tools they offer and that help small business owners, run profitable businesses. The small business sector is an important sector in our economy.” Affirms Musi.
Musi is also a strong believer that both empowerment and development of those in agriculture and health sectors will result in the fight against poverty in townships. “Not all residents have the opportunity to study. We all come from different backgrounds and therefore, there should be varying opportunities for the community” proposes Musi.
Jacky Masango who hails from Cosmo city feels that the status of local clinics is bad and that staff morale at its lowest.
“Our community’s health is nowadays constantly at risk due to non-maintenance of basic infrastructure. Sewage spilling into our streets has become the norm and this poses a health hazard to us.” asserts Masango.
“We also have a scarcity of police visibility in many of our townships. Crime rates are high and there is not enough funding of SAPS. We need more police stations and police must have all the resources required to fight crime, especially patrol vehicles and we need an effective specialized unit to prevent crime especially, against our women and children.” continues Masango. Masango would also like to see past programs that were aimed at giving the youth skills revived.” Back then, technical schools were there to teach those who were not academically inclined hone in on skills such as bricklaying, carpentry and plumbing. We need those skills in our communities to empower and support young people.” Given Madia 26, from Soweto says “electricity is a basic need for every South African. “We are living in a fourth industrial revolution world where kids attend classes from the comfort of their homes and parents work remotely. However, the majority of people in this country are living in poverty with no access to a basic needs such as mere electricity. Without access to this need, it becomes a challenge for young people and the results often lead to crime, drugs, and unemployment.” reflects Madia.
Madia also feels very strongly about an end to informal settlements. “I spent 25 years of my life living in an informal settlement in Tladi Soweto, with no electricity and I didn’t enjoy basic service delivery.” says Madia.
Madia’s personal story is one of success despite his formative background. “In 2015, I passed my matric at Thomas Mofolo High School with an admission for a bachelor’s degree despite having had to study at night using candle light. We would hear of big funds being allocated towards service delivery that never got delivered. Government should consider implementing strict guidelines and monitoring of how allocated funds are used. There are so many young people from informal settlements who can take this country to the next level unfortunately, there is a stigma associated with being someone who comes from an informal settlement. These youngsters lack resources not brilliant minds.”
Madia is today a graduate of the University of Johannesburg and is no longer an informal settlement resident. However, he still thinks about those left behind.” To this day, the same conditions I lived under still prevail for many. Recent floods have also destroyed many people’s properties and not only in informal settlements. This was due to negligence by the municipality. They failed in the upkeep of drainage systems.” says Madia. Madia recalls that between the years 2000 and 2005, the local municipality used to regularly maintain drainage systems to minimize the risk of floods and he would like to see that happening again. He concluded that there are many jobs that can be created for the youth and drainage systems maintenance is just but one of many low hanging job creation fruits.
Bonolo Sewela from Tembisa, city of Ekurhuleni has strong views about the scourge of drug use in her community.
When asked if government is doing enough to help fight drug addiction amongst young people, her answer was an immediate “no”.
Sewela says there is a scarcity of drug rehabilitation centers in her city and the country in general.
“The only rehabilitation center that I know of is SANCA, in Jabavu Soweto and I strongly believe that it doesn’t accommodate everyone who would like to stop using drugs,” she said.
Sewela would like to see more funding allocated to programs that deal with not only substance abuse but as well as sexual reproduction, health and human rights issues.
“Youth programs organized by Non-Profit Organizations like Mo Afrika Ithlokomele, that address socio-economic issues affecting young people, are essential however, they are not adequately supported financially. We need educational facilities and lots of rehabilitation centers in our area.” she said.
She further proposes that the province should consider investing more money into upgrading and maintaining libraries. “Many libraries were closed during the COVID-19 pandemic and never reopened. Protea library is amongst those libraries that I am aware were closed and these closures pose a tough situation for kids who are passionate about their future and want access to information.” emphesised Sewela. “Libraries are valuable. They play a very important role in shaping young people’s futures,” she added.
Sewela is also an advocate for sports and its positive impact on the youth and society in general and believes that local government should invest more in sports.
“In many parts of parts of the City of Ekurhuleni and Johannesburg, there are more taverns and night clubs than sports facilities. This is particularly an issue in townships. It is another reason why young people are more exposed to drugs. Young people need access to facilities that shape them positively,” concluded Sewela.
The City of Ekurhuleni has in the recent past struggled to restore waste removal services in various areas that were affected by protesting waste removal contractors. According to Tebogo Rakgalakane, a 32-year-old mother from Thokoza, affected residents were and are still left to deal with problems that come with the piling up of waste.
She says affected areas include Langaville, Wattville, Daveyton-Etwatwa, Duduza, Kwa-Thema, Norkem Park, Thokoza and Palm Ridge during the strike and beyond.
“Waste management must be a first priority of service delivery for the community and more funds should be allocated to the responsible department within the city to ensure that waste is always removed.” says Rakgalakane. She added that the city should address all disputes that arise with its service providers in order to prevent the downing of tools by contractors as was seen when waste removal contractors downed tools recently. “Consistent waste removal is still not happening in many areas in my city and the city needs to be cognisant of the impact of air pollution and other health hazards that come with inconsistent waste removal,” concluded Rakgalakane.