‘How can we wash hands without water?’ Inner Joburg’s people demand better services

From demolished shacks to water and electricity shutoffs, SA’s coronavirus lockdown has worsened inner-city dwellers’ crisis, as they are now without much-needed necessities for months on end.

The socioeconomic impact of Covid-19 has been devastating for communities across Gauteng, especially Bertrams, Jeppe informal settlement and parts of Hillbrow.

Gugulethu Mkoko, 36, who stays in one of the rundown flats in Bertrams, has resorted to illegal electricity connections and ferrying water from the nearby Johannesburg stadium.

On Wednesday, Mkoko and hundreds of Inner City Resource Centre (ICRC) members marched to Gauteng premier David Makhura’s office to hand over a memorandum demanding better living conditions.

“If I can just get a proper house for me and my three children I will be very happy. A place with water, proper sanitation and electricity,” Mkoko said.

Mkoko has been staying in the flat for nearly 23 years. She moved in with her mother, who died in 2006.

“The provincial government has been promising us for years that they will be moving us to better accommodation. We know if we move from these flats without going into a proper house, the government is going to turn our place into a student residence like they did to other dilapidated flats,” she said.

In a block of flats next to Mkoko’s is her old friend, Nontlantla Nomeva, who arrived in Johannesburg from Tarkastad, Eastern Cape, in 2006 looking for better employment.

When Sunday Times Daily arrived at the flat she was doing laundry and waiting for Mkoko and others to return from the march.

I’m a pensioner, but I can still hustle and pay my own way … But in the meantime I will use illegally connected electricity and water until government gives me my own house.

—  Melta Masipa

“I couldn’t wash because where we normally get water was closed, so instead I decided let me rather wait and do my laundry instead,” Nomeva said.

Another resident Melta Masipa said she had no problem paying for water and electricity, but the government must install electricity and water meters.

“I’m a pensioner, but I can still hustle and pay my own way … But in the meantime I will use illegally connected electricity and water until government gives me my own house,” Masipa said.

Nomalizo Khayingana, of Jeppe informal settlements, has been staying in her shack for nearly 14 years. “I survived Covid, but I do not know how … I do not have proper sanitation or running water. They preach to us every day that we must wash our hands but do not give us water. How are we to wash hands without water?” Khayingana said.

Khayingana, who was among hundreds who marched to Makhura’s office, said for the past 27 years they had been marching, protesting and submitting memorandums to previous premiers without any responses.

“We have forced our inclusion into various government schemes and imbizos, purported to provide sustainable solutions for the housing crisis facing the City of Johannesburg and Gauteng province in general. Much of that energy and resources has led to no tangible results,” Khayingana said.

Handing the memorandum to Makhura’s office, ICRC organiser Shereza Sibanda said they demanded the immediate ceasing of evictions of the poor and working class residents of Johannesburg.

“We demand provision of sufficient water and sanitation services to the most marginalised residents of the city and province,” Sibanda said.

They further demanded:

• recognition of inner-city dilapidated buildings as deserving development just as informal settlements;
• introduction of rent-control measures and legislation to stop the rampant exploitation by owners;
• a full review of the social housing sector, including ownership models;
• provision of decent housing to all informal settlement and backyard dwellers;
• improvement in the physical integrity of many of the neglected buildings; and
• a housing indaba to discuss the challenges faced by social housing, informal, settlement, dilapidated buildings, backyard dwellers and transitional housing communities.

Sibanda said they gave Makhura three days to respond to their demands or they would camp outside his office until he responds.

The memorandum was accepted by Mthuthuzeli Siboza, the head of Rapid Response Team in Makhura’s office.

Siboza promised to hand the report to Makhura for responses.