Gauteng MEC for human settlements, Lebogang Maile, has indicated that he will be returning to Diepkloof Hostel on Thursday following his brief visit to the protesting dwellers on Tuesday.
This visit comes hot on the heels of Monday’s protest action in which residents of the hostel called for Premier Panyaza Lesufi to come and address them.
The Diepkloof residents, who have staged numerous service delivery protests in the past, have shown no signs of letting up their fight until their dilapidated units are renovated.
After speaking and engaging with leaders of the recent protests and community members, Maile said he would return on Thursday with City of Joburg Mayor, Kabelo Gwamanda, and his team.
“Now that I am here and have heard what you are saying. You have explained that some of the solutions need the city while others need the intervention of the province. You have also told me that I must bring with me, the mayor of the city and his team. It has been agreed that our next meeting will be with the mayor,” he said.
Maile indicated that something needs to be done to ensure that Diepkloof Hostel dwellers get access to proper housing and infrastructure even though there could be challenges due to the influx of people into the hostels.
“There’s 1.2 million people who need houses. Since 1994, this government has built more than 1.3 million houses. Surely, you can’t say it’s not done anything,” Maile told the media.
“It is not as if government has not built anything but as we continue to build, you have more and more people coming. So at the moment, there are more than 200 000 people coming here, which is a challenge as this is a moving target. So, you can build houses, provide infrastructure, but more people come,” he said.
However, according to Jacaranda News, the residents are still not convinced by Maile’s visit as they have indicated that he left them hanging with no clear commitments except that he will come back on Thursday.
“The truth is people are living in houses that could collapse any minute, especially with all these rains. He says himself that these houses are falling. Where has he been? What was he doing all this time? Was he waiting for us to protest?” said community chairperson, Sibongiseni Khoza.
Maile’s visit comes a day after the Office of the Premier indicated that only the City of Joburg is responsible for the Diepkloof Hostels while the province is responsible for six hostels which include Denver and Jeppe hostels.
In a statement on Monday, spokesperson for Lesufi, Sizwe Pamla, revealed that the provincial government is in the process of installing wi-fi and other improvement in six of its hostels.
“These hostels currently receive daily maintenance and environmental upkeep to make them habitable. Major repairs to structural damages have commenced and are continuing in five of the six hostels,” Pamla said.
The Star