- A report by acting Public Protect finds that Chris Hani District Municipality (CHDM) services and infrastructure poses a health risk
- Acting Public Protect found that the water truck drivers from Chris Hani District Municipality were requesting bribes from the community
- Some villages have no toilets and residents must dig pit latrines while borehole projects remain incomplete
The inadequate provision of
municipal services and the lack of necessary infrastructure on the part of
Chris Hani District Municipality (CHDM) poses a health risk to the community
within its district.
This
finding is contained in a report by acting public protector, advocate Kholeka
Gcaleka.
Following a complaint,
Gcaleka was investigating whether municipal services by the district authority
to some villages within its jurisdiction were rendered progressively and
effectively.
Gcaleka found that the water
truck drivers from CHDM were taking advantage of the desperate situation of the
community by demanding bribes for the delivery of water and to store the water,
residents must buy water tanks.
Some
villages within CHDM have no toilets and residents must dig pit latrines while
borehole projects remain incomplete with no explanation as to why.
“Households have taps, but
they ran dry a while ago. There are no reservoir tanks for storing water and
residents collect water from a stream situated on the mountain. Qutubeni and
Silindini locations experience water challenges, because of old infrastructure,”
Gcaleka said.
CHDM
has a total of 84 600 flushing toilets (37.73% of total households), 103 000
Ventilation Improved Pit (45.82% of total households), and 20 500 (9.13% of
total households) pit toilets.
“It
is evident that CHDM is striving to the extent permitted by its resources and
financial means to address service delivery issues in its area of jurisdiction.
The investigation, however, has revealed that there is still poor and/or lack
of basic essential services such as water and water infrastructure within
certain villages, which impact negatively on the community,” she wrote.
Gcaleka said areas of concern
relate to inadequate access to clean water and proper sanitation.
CHDM also has challenges with
old water infrastructure and there is poor maintenance thereof.
“These shortcomings
contribute to poor water service delivery to communities and as such, are
incompatible with the CHDM’s legal obligations imposed by the Constitution and
the law. Based on the evidence at hand, the Public Protector concludes that
there is inadequate delivery of water supply by CHDM, which prejudices the
community members within its district. This service deficiency is not in line
with the legal obligations of the CHDM,” she said.
Evidence placed at the
disposal of the Public Protector has established that strides have been made
for the provision of water services by the CHDM, she said, but there are still
some service challenges that manifest.
“While
the Infrastructure Development Plan has been put in place by CHDM to address
the water-related problems in the district, these water challenges remain in
place and continue to prejudice the community in the CDHM until the plan is
fully executed or implemented.”
Gcaleka said the inadequate provision of
municipal services and the lack of necessary infrastructure on the part of CHDM
pose a health risk to the community in the district.
The
conduct of the CHDM accordingly constitutes improper conduct as envisaged in
section 182(1)(a) of the Constitution as well as prejudice in terms of section
6(4)(a)(v) of the Public Protector Act. The report is dated October 19.
Within 90 calendar days of
the date of this report, in line with the obligations and mandate contemplated
in section 152(1)(b) of the Constitution, (the public protector will) conduct
an assessment to determine the basic municipal services requirements in all
affected areas within CHDM.
Within
30 calendar days of the submission of the Implementation Plan by the
Municipal Manager (Gcobani Mashiyi), she said, to submit the same to the
cooperative governance and traditional affairs MEC Zolile Williams indicating
steps/measures to be taken or already taken to address the water service
delivery concerns of the communities within CHDM, as identified in this report.
