MyPE

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Human rights crisis in Skiti Settlement is ignored

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Dear MyPE

The appalling living conditions of the residents of Skiti Informal Settlement in Butterworth is a human rights crisis and the Amathole District Municipality (ADM) must take full responsibility for this.

On 1 November 2018, I was joined by Chantel King MP, Phesheya Kwenciba Constituency Leader, and conducted an oversight inspection at Skiti Informal Settlement.

The people of Skiti have been living in inhumane conditions since raw sewage started flowing in the local river, into streets and their houses more than eight months ago.

The residents have no sanitation facilities and they have to use pits as toilets. These pits were dug by the ADM and the community.

To add insult to injury, the pits were dug by the Municipality to construct toilets, but this never happened.

The community uses the river, which is now totally contaminated and its banks, to dump the contents of the pits. And also uses the river as a rubbish dump as refuse is not being removed for them.

The raw sewage in the streets is seeping into the homes of the residents and the health risk to all is immense .

This is the DA’s fourth inspection at this settlement and all our attempts to protect the basic human rights of the people of Skiti, have been ignored by the failing ANC government.

On 17 July 2018 Ms King wrote to the Mayor of ADM, Nomfusi Nxawe, to bring the situation to her attention as ADM is responsible for water and sanitation in this area. (see letter attached)

On 26 July 2018 Ms King went to the East London offices of the ADM and personally handed the letter to the Mayor requesting her to intervene urgently.

On 30 July the DA wrote to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) to intervene and on 29 August Ms King received acknowledgment of receipt. (see letter attached)

I will now write to the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Fikile Xasa, to insist that he take action. I will also write to the SAHRC to request an urgent investigation.

Only a DA government can bring the change that will speed up service delivery to the residents of the Eastern Cape and that will build One South Africa for All.

Regards

Nqaba Bhanga
DA EC Premier Candidate

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