Cape Town - A recently released report by Asivikelane, (a service delivery monitoring tool) on the provision of basic services performance by metros in informal settlements shows that the City has improved on its water provision, cleaning and draining of toilets in the past five months.
The monthly report showed that services to informal settlements had remained stable, despite financial year-end pressures.
Afesis-Corplan programme officer Zimasa Mpemnyama said the Asivikelane campaign had been tracking the basic service delivery performance of metros since the beginning of the year.
Mpemnayama said since Asivikelane assisted informal settlement residents to participate and take part in submitting budgets to municipalities, these submissions now had an impact on the spending in metros.
She said Joburg and eThekwini were leading with increased spending on allocation for informal settlement sanitation while Tshwane showed a willingness to engage with residents by acknowledging receipt of individual submissions.
There are 497 established informal settlement areas in the metro with an additional 186 unlawfully occupied areas that surfaced during the pandemic which the City said it was unable to cater for as existing recognised informal settlements were prioritised.
Community Organisation Resource Centre Data and GIS manager Blessing Mancitshana said basic services were not adequately provided to the poorest when the campaign started in 2020.
He said they found that most families would share facilities (taps and toilets).
“To an extent, the City is trying its best with regards to the provision of some basic services, especially toilets. Through our partnership and engagement, we have seen them providing services, especially to some informal settlements that are part of this campaign.
“However, our social movement which is made of people coming out of these communities, tried to bring in the newly established settlements, and we are collecting information from some of them,” he said.
Mancitshana said under the UN Bill of Rights everyone had a right to clean water. He said when these services were not adequately provided residents were forced to walk long distances and stand in long queues.