Gauteng DA disturbed by Ramaphosa informal settlement’s degrading sanitary conditions

JOHANNESBURG - The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng said it was deeply disturbed by the degrading sanitary conditions at the Ramaphosa informal settlement in Emfuleni, where portable toilets were surrounded by filth.

Members of the party conducted an oversight visit to the area on Monday, prompted by an EWN report revealing the dire conditions faced by residents.

ALSO READ: Ramaphosa informal settlement residents forced to use buckets and pit latrines

The portable toilets have become infested with worms, as they have not been cleaned for the past four months.

This neglect stems from the Gauteng government cutting funding for toilet maintenance, while the Emfuleni Municipality claims it lacks the financial resources to step in.

DA’s provincial spokesperson for human settlements, Mervyn Cirota, said no human being should be forced to live under such conditions.

"We have noticed that where there are single toilets for single families, the conditions are bad. I have been in there and I’m surprised I can still breathe. Apparently, what people are doing is using buckets and dumping the waste in the toilets."