Gauteng Department of Human Settlements and COGTA MEC Jacob Mamabolo today committed to respond to residents’ needs who have been staying in the abandoned 21 Old Vereeniging Hospital, Sedibeng. The residents have been staying in the old hospital without sufficient access to water, electricity and toilets since it was decommissioned and abandoned two decades ago.
As a matter of urgency the MEC announced to the residents that they are going to provide them with chemical toilets as a short term solution to other issues raised by the residents. MEC Mamabolo said they are going to meet with the residents again in a formal setting to discuss solutions to other issues raised by residents.
“This situation is a state of emergency and therefore requires a state of emergency approach. While we acknowledge the bigger problem that has engulfed this small community of a thousand individual it is possible for government to resolve some of the manageable problems urgently,” said MEC Mamabolo. Some of the issues cited at the community meeting include grass cutting, fencing, refuse removal, extended water supply amongst others.
The MEC committed to another meeting this week with the residents to further discuss the issues raised including housing.
MEC Mamabolo urged the residents’ committee to compile a detailed list of people who are currently staying in the old hospital. Mamabolo said the list will help them as government to plan accordingly and prevent outside opportunistic people who use the situation to their advantage. “We don’t want people who are not part of this to unfairly take advantage of the upcoming intervention by government,” said MEC Mamabolo.
Still in Sedibeng, the MEC visited the Evaton Renewal Programme to accelerate some of the issues in the programme including relocation from the old dilapidated houses to new houses. The MEC assessed the storm water drainage that has seen a problem of flooding during rainy season. MEC Mamabolo said this problem, which is linked to road construction in the area, should be urgently resolved by the urban renewal team.
For more information contact:
Motsamai Motlhaolwa
Cell: 079 897 2240
