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Aliwal North families still in inferior housing three years after “temporary move”

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Dear MyPE

Joe Ggabi Temporary Housing
Joe Ggabi temporary housing toilets

Residents of the Hilton community in Aliwal North have been moved to temporary housing in the Joe Ggabi suburb in order to provide new housing for the families. The Democratic Alliance (DA) appreciates and supports the building of houses for poor communities.

The DA visited the area recently to look at the living conditions of the residents after we received complaints. Four families have been forced to live in the temporary area for the past three years as they have not received houses although their names were on the original list. To date, no plan has been made to provide them with permanent houses.

The movement of 140 households has resulted in these residents facing severe challenges. Poor services provided for the families at the temporary structures mean that people must share water from two standpipes and they have no electricity.

An even bigger concern is the sharing of outside toilets. Approximately twelve toilets are provided but only two are functional while the others remain locked. Raw sewerage was spilling out of the toilets and is running between the houses. Most of the people that we talked to are old and cannot walk in the dark to the toilets and are forced to use bucket toilets in their houses.

The area from where they were moved did have electricity, flushing toilets and running water. When the residents complained to the ward councillor about the living conditions, they were told that their houses were already demolished.

The DA will be writing to the Municipal Manager asking him to improve the living condition in the area. Toilets must all be opened, kept clean and functioning. Regular meetings must be held with the community in order to discuss their living conditions and to keep them informed of housing progress. The four families that did not receive housing during the last period must be prioritised with the next allocation.

Regards

Annette Steyn

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Port Elizabethan

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