Flood warning for Cape residents

Cape Town - The City of Cape Town’s Disaster Risk Management Centre late on Tuesday issued a flood warning for many parts of the province, including the Cape metropole.

In response, the City’s housing directorate urged residents in low-lying, flood-prone informal settlements to reduce the risk of flooding by raising the floor level of their homes.

Communities in flood-hit informal settlements were invited to contact the City’s call centre on 0860 103 089 to request sand to raise the floor of their dwellings to keep water out. If the roof of their home is leaking, residents can apply for flood kits from the City’s Informal Settlements Management team.

The City appealed to residents to help by:

* Clearing out drainage systems on their properties

* Moving to higher ground if they stay in a flood-prone area (for assistance with this they can contact the City’s Call Centre or the Informal Settlements Management team)

* Digging trenches around their homes to divert water away

* Reporting blocked drains, intakes and illegal dumping

* Waterproofing roofs, clearing gutters and removing dead tree branches

“The City’s human settlements directorate is working closely with communities and other City departments to, as far as possible, ensure that the residents whose homes are vulnerable to flooding are cared for,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Councillor Benedicta van Minnen.

The City advised that heavy rain, strong wind conditions in the interior and very cold weather can be expected over the next two days.

The Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Anton Bredell, said the concern was that the weather would not only lead to flooding but mudslides and fires.

“Some of the other associated risks during bad weather like this also includes mudslides, and informal settlement fires as well as severe cold made worse by the possible electricity challenges due to potential load shedding,” he said

Bredell has urged motorists and pedestrians travelling in the province over the next few days, to take extra caution.

“Care should be taken when crossing low lying bridges, or streams and rivers as floodwaters may be on the way.”

Provincial as well as municipal disaster management centres remain fully operational with officials on standby 24/7. These centres can be activated immediately should it be required.

Bredell stressed that communities should contact and cooperate with local authorities and emergency response personnel in the event of any emergency. He said the easiest number to call was 112, adding: “This number can be dialled toll-free from any cellphone.”

In case of emergency other relevant numbers to call are:

* Cape Winelands: Langeberg Municipality 0860 88 1111

* Eden District: 044 805 5071

* Central Karoo: 023 414 2603

* West Coast: 022 433 8700

* Overberg: 028 271 8111

* City of Cape Town: 107 landline or 021 480 7700

The City also attached the following flooding related tip sheet:

How can I prepare for a flood?

* Identify the risk in your local area.

* Prepare a home emergency plan, and identify risks around your home.

* Remove leaves (from downpipes or gutters) or any other items that can increase the risk of flooding in your area.

* Have an evacuation plan. Everyone in your family has to know where to go to find shelter.

* Prepare an emergency toolkit. This should include a first aid kit, torch and portable radio with batteries, candles and waterproof matches, drinking water, a multi-tool, whistle and emergency contact numbers.

What should I do during a flooding?

* Monitor current flood warnings. Listen to the radio for emergency warnings, evacuation advice and weather updates.

* Avoid entering floodwater unless it is necessary, and never underestimate the strength of floodwater, even if you are inside a vehicle.

* Follow all instructions from emergency authorities.

* Turn off all electricity and water and take your cellphone with you.

* Assist elderly and disabled neighbours.

What should I do after the flood?

* Before entering your house, wait until the water has dropped below floor level.

* Check with electricity and water authorities to know whether it is safe for you to use these resources.

* Be aware of contamination if water sources have been flooded; this could be unsafe to drink.

Contact these additional emergency numbers:

* 112 (from a cellphone) and 10177 from a landline.

* Report floods, blocked drains and service disruption to 0860 103 089.

* City of Cape Town Disaster Risk Management Centre: 080 911 4357.

- ANA

Five dead, scores displaced by fires

Cape Town - Five people were killed in three separate fires in the Cape Peninsula on Sunday morning, the City of Cape Town Fire Service said.

“Just before 3am this [Sunday] morning the City’s Fire and Rescue Service responded to an informal settlement fire, Salamander Road Command, Hout Bay,” said spokesman Theo Layne.

A man, a woman, and two minors were killed in the blaze which swept through the informal settlement, destroying 30 shacks.

Approximately 120 people were left displaced.

Police were on scene to investigate the cause of the fire.

An hour later, a man was killed when one shack was razed to the ground in Solomon street, Mfuleni.

Earlier on Sunday morning, 25 people were left displaced when seven shacks were destroyed during a fire at the Village Heights informal settlement in Lavender Hill.

- ANA

Cape land invaders refuse to move

Cape Town - Illegal land invasions have spread across Cape Town from Khayelitsha, Kalkfontein near Bonteheuwel and now to Wallacedene in Kraaifontein.

JP Smith, the mayco member of safety and security for the City of Cape Town, said seven people who occupied land illegally in Kalkfontein were arrested on Saturday.

“There were protesters in the area who were burning tyres and throwing stones near the lane of the R300 earlier on Saturday afternoon. And, firemen in Hamilton Estate were also assaulted after trying to put out a fire. One man was injured and the others refused to go back to control the fire because of the danger that they were in,” Smith said.

In light of the sporadic land grabs that took place across the city last week, Smith provided a breakdown of the city’s intervention.

“(A total of) 20 illegal structures and 920 pegs were destroyed in Khayelitsha, 100 pegs were destroyed in Lwandle (Strand). Thirteen illegal structures were demolished in Kalkfontein.”

He said public spaces in Wallacedene were under threat. “More of these illegal structures are being erected. (On Sunday) police will be in the area to stop these structures from disturbing public spaces.”

When the Cape Argus visited Kalkfontein on Sunday, people remained defiant and continued to erect illegal structures, saying they have nowhere else to go.

Elliot Malgas was adamant that he and his family would not move willingly. “We still want to build here. On Saturday, law enforcement demolished our homes but we haven’t got any other place to stay.”

After being evicted, Malgas said: “It was terrible, I am not happy. Everyone here has bought all the materials for their houses, now we have to spend more money to build. I have lost my TV, clothes and even my ID.”

He said this was the third time in one week that their homes were destroyed.

A church was set alight during the violent protest.

“It’s confirmed that the church has been set alight. Apparently it appears it was set alight by protestors,” said police spokesman Colonel Thembinkosi Kinana.

No injuries were reported.

“No arrests have been made so far. The investigation is still ongoing,” said Kinana.

Joshua Njingo, who was shot in the head on Saturday said: “They came to shoot at us while we were building. It’s terrible. The South African law enforcement can’t just come from behind and just shoot you.”

Banele Ntlangani, 22, another Kalkfontein resident, feared losing his eight-month-old baby, Uminati.

“We were busy building and law enforcement came. They said they were here just to break the shacks without people living inside them. Afterwards they surrounded the whole area with hippos and then just broke all the houses.”

Police spokesman Colonel Thembinkosi Kinana said: “Eight protesters were arrested for public violence on Sunday and they are expected to appear in court (Monday).”

matthew.vanschalkwyk@inl.co.za

- Cape Argus and ANA

Fire outside Cape Town kills one

Cape Town – A fire in the Wallacedene informal settlement in Kraaifontein in the early hours of Saturday morning claimed the life of one man and left several dozen people displaced, the City of Cape Town’s disaster risk management team said.

The victim was identified as Buyisa Nofemela.

According to the city’s disaster risk management spokesperson, Charlotte Powell, 23 adults and 14 children were displaced.

An NGO would provide the affected families with food parcels, blankets and mattresses.

The families would also be provided with “starter kits” to rebuild their homes. 

- African News Agency

City Housing chaos erupts as protesters loot stalls

A mob of protesters who charged through Cape Town city centre yesterday mugged a bystander, looted vendors' stalls and vandalised property.

Hundreds of members of Ses'Khona, known as the "poo protesters", marched to the Western Cape legislature to demand that grievances about a lack of housing delivery be heard.

Ses'Khona leader Andile Lili urged the crowd to mobilise in townships and return to the city centre with 300000 people.

In St George's Mall, a man who had bought coffee was caught up in the melee and assaulted by a man believed to be a protester.

The attack was seen by The Times photographer Esa Alexander. "When the protesters came, the man with the coffee tried to run away. They got hold of him and pulled at his bag," he said.

"The man fought back and when one of the attackers pulled his bag out of his hand the victim fell to the ground. The thief ran into the crowd before the guy could get back up. It was chaos."

The protesters looted informal traders and took iron rods from stalls. They attacked bystanders, but dispersed when they were chased by police.

Police Captain FC van Wyk said one man had been arrested for possession of stolen goods from a vendor.

"We urge people to come forward with information," he said.

- Timelive

230 000 households still using bucket toilets

Parliament - At least 230,000 households were still using the bucket system, Water and Sanitation director-general Margaret-Ann Diedricks said on Wednesday.

Briefing Parliament’s portfolio committee on water and sanitation, Diedricks informed MPs the use of the bucket toilet system was still widespread.

The department confirmed that 88,127 households in formal areas and 140,000 households in informal areas were using bucket toilets as a form of sanitation.

The figures were expected to climb, however, as authorities in four provinces have not confirmed the number of households still relying on the bucket system.

“It may of course go higher but we are waiting for KwaZulu Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Gauteng to confirm,” said Diedricks.

She said reports from provincial authorities showed the  households relying on this form of sanitation, the highest number of households using the bucket system:

• Western Cape 59,932
• Free State 46,758 
• Eastern Cape 23 958 
• Northern Cape  5,350
• North West province 4,150

A total of 185 projects aimed at eradicating the bucket system were currently underway across the country’s nine provinces.

- ANA

Khayelitsha hall set alight, three held

Cape Town - A community hall in Khayelitsha was set alight by a mob of angry residents when their children returned home from a city sports and recreation function with suspected food poisoning.

It resulted in the closure of parts of the N2 on Saturday night.

On Saturday the city’s Sport, Recreation and Amenities Department hosted a youth games event at the OR Tambo Hall in Khayelitsha.

It is alleged that children from the BM informal settlement, near Mew Way, who attended the sporting event returned home with complaints of stomach cramps.

Their parents believed the cramps were caused by food poisoning. Three children were taken to the Khayelitsha Hospital.

In the early hours of Sunday the parents met a group of residents who were protesting for houses. The two groups worked together and set the community hall alight.

Three women were arrested.

Ward councillor Monde Nqulana said the three women were parents of the children who fell ill.

Nqulana said BM residents were upset by two issues - the first being housing. He said the BM residents were promised housing from the Bosasa project in Mfuleni after their homes were burnt down in 2013.

He said after a long wait the residents learnt that the project had been put on hold by the city. “Last night they decided to protest and closed the N2 and Lansdowne with tyre barricades.”

He said housing protesters met the parents of the children in the morning.

“The food poisoning spiked the anger and I am afraid the hall is badly damaged. I doubt that there will be any sports taking place there now. The infrastructure is badly damaged.”

Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Andrè Traut said police were deployed to the scene and were there most of the morning.

He confirmed the arrests of three women. “Arson and public violence are being investigated.”

Mayoral committee member for community services and special projects Belinda Walker condemned the torching of the community hall.

She said the kitchen of the facility was destroyed and other parts of the building suffered minor structural damage. “It’s horrifying that people think that burning down a hall and inconveniencing people for an extended period of time is the way to air their grievances.”

She confirmed that the city received reports that 30 children fell ill with suspected food poisoning and that the participants were taken to Khayelitsha for treatment.

“While officials were briefing parents regarding the situation, a group of community members entered the venue as they were under the impression the meeting was related to housing development and service delivery matters.”

Walker said after it was explained that the meeting was not housing-related the group left and later returned in the morning to torch the hall.

“The city will launch an investigation into the matter of food poisoning due to refreshments supplied by the service provider, Ameena Ebrahim Caterers, and will, if necessary, take action.”

Additional reporting by ANA

zodidi.dano@inl.co.za

- Cape Argus

Khayelitsha community hall burnt during protest, highway blocked

CAPE TOWN – Residents of Khayelitsha in Cape Town set fire to a community hall early on Sunday morning.

The incident follows service delivery protests yesterday, during which the N2 highway was blocked.

Community members say they're struggling to get the City of Cape Town to meet its housing commitments.

In 2013, residents of the B-M section were temporarily moved to another area, OR Tambo, after a fire destroyed their homes. They were then promised new houses in Mfuleni.

But after violence directed at the contractors in that area, the City of Cape Town put a stop to the Bosasa housing development.

“These people are angry because they can see they are not going to get what was agreed on between them and the City,” said ANC ward councillor, Monde Nqulwana.

A community member has accused the City of lying to them. “We were supposed to go to Bosasa in October. But that thing didn’t happen. They lied to us,” said Siyabulela Gifile. 

On Saturday, after three children contracted food poisoning at a community event, the protests escalated and the OR Tambo community hall was set alight the following morning.

Community members are angry that the mothers of the sick children have been detained.

"They say the only thing they want is for those parents to be released so they can interact with their sick children in hospital,” said Nqulwana.

While some community members are critical of the arsonists, others feel it’s the only way to get attention.

“The best way is to burn this hall,” said Gifile.

Khayelitsha community members have now threatened to block the N2 highway for as long as it takes, and say police will have to deploy extra forces for protection.

They’re vowing not to rest until Western Cape Premier Helen Zille herself comes to meet them, and until their demands for housing are met.

- eNCA

Cape Town’s own Nkandla

Cape Town - Cape Town has its very own Nkandla. But unlike President Jacob Zuma’s multi-million rand homestead in KwaZulu-Natal, it has no “firepools”, cattle pens, tuck shops or other R246-million security features.

Instead residents of Nkandla in Mfuleni live on an open field without basic facilities such as running water or toilets, and now even without shelter.

Some of the almost 80 people live in makeshift tents, patched together from bits and pieces of used material.

Most of them sleep under the stars on old and broken mattresses, and food is cooked over bonfires.

The group were among over a thousand people who were evicted from Fountain Village in Blue Downs last year.

Yongama Folose of the Mfuleni Backyarders Organisation, says they first moved into a big tent, which they named Nkandla, on the open field.

“We clubbed together R1 each to hire the tent, and we paid R1 000 per week,” he said.

“But the number of people dropped and we couldn’t afford to rent the tent anymore.”

He said most of the people have left to move in with family and friends in other areas.

“Every time we build a structure, law enforcement comes and demolish it. But we are not moving from here because we have nowhere to go,” he adds.

Mama Yandisa Vika, 30, who lives with her two-year-old baby girl on the field says it’s been tough on them: “When the night comes it hurts me so much.

“Imagine I have to sleep with my daughter in the open under the moonlight. It was better when we had a tent, at least we had a roof over our heads.”

Folose also accused ward councillor Themba Honono of ignoring their plight.

But Honono says people were warned not to occupy the land, which he says belongs to the city council.

“But they were ordered by Ses’khona members to occupy the land,” says Hono.

Ses’khona spokesperson Sithembele Majova denied the allegations: “We are aware of the eviction, but we did not order the occupation of the land.

“As an organisation we believe people should be provided with an alternative place to stay when they are evicted.

“It is councillor Honono’s ward, and he is unable to manage it,” said Majova.

- Daily Voice

Boy killed, 300 homeless after fires

Cape Town - A seven-year-old boy was killed and close to 300 people were left displaced in separate shack fires over the weekend.

Brian Olifant, 7, was killed when a fire broke out, destroying four shacks in Wallacedene.

City of Cape Town Disaster Risk Management spokesman Wilfred Solomons-Johannes said the fiire broke out on Sunday at around 10am.

Solomons-Johannes said a community worker had said Brian was the second child in the family to be killed in a fire.

Community workers said they suspected the fire was ignited by a child playing with matches. However, city fire and rescue spokesman Theo Layne said investigators at the scene found that the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit.

Solomons-Johannes said 10 other people were displaced as a result of the fire.

In another incident, 67 shacks were destroyed in a blaze and 270 people were left homeless at the Ekuphumleni informal settlement in Dunoon near Milnerton. The fire broke out on Sunday around 11am.

Layne said it was suspected that it was caused by a cigarette left unattended.

“The cigarette ignited (clothing) which spread to the rest of the shack.”

Solomons-Johannes said no injuries were reported and a community centre in the area was used as an emergency shelter. He said humanitarian relief was arranged and building materials had been delivered.

Layne warned people to be careful when using cooking with fire at this time of the year, especially in informal settlements.

“We find that fires are mostly started by these braais, and what is worse is that people sometimes cannot extinguish the fires properly.”

He said that although there had not been many shack fires during the festive season, his department had received more than 100 reports of vegetation fires.

“Fires happen all the time in open fields; sometimes we find that it was a cigarette butt thrown out the window of a car, or someone walking through the fields.

“Also we found that a lot of malicious vegetation fires are started by children playing with matches.”

In the past few weeks, firefighting crews have been stretched due to the large vegetation fires caused by dry, sunny weather and New Year’s Eve celebrations.

On New Year’s Eve two large vegetation fires broke out and several small fires ignited in the Cape Flats.

Layne reported that the first day of the new year was chaotic.

In Noordhoek, two helicopters were called in to water bomb a vegetation fire. Layne said conventional vehicles were unable to reach the fire.

On the same day another large fire broke out in Ocean View and teams of firefighters, along with two helicopters, were called to the scene.

Both fires were suspected to have been caused by firecrackers.

- Cape Argus

Teen dies in freak electric shock

Cape Town - A 14-year-old Khayelitsha teen was electrocuted to death in a freak accident at the TR informal Settlement over the weekend.

Amahle Masala, a Grade 9 pupil at Ntlanganiso High School, was killed when she held on to a metal wire connected to a shack which had an electric cable running through the zinc roof. The incident took place on Saturday at around 11am.

According to witness Lungile Jungwana, Amahle was stretching her arms out when she held on to the metal wire, used as a washing line, for support.

“We had just been joking around when she stood and held the wire. The next thing I saw was her body shaking and she was screaming for her friend Wendy to help her.”

Jungwana said at first he was so shocked that he stayed rooted to the spot. But he was triggered into action by the sight of flashing sparks coming from the wire near the roof.

“I quickly grabbed a wooden rake and tried hitting her away from the wire. We tried moving her with the rake several times until the wire broke.”

Jungwana said when the wire broke it got tangled around Amahle’s body causing her to choke even more.

“It lasted for a few minutes, but when we managed to set her loose from the wire she had already lost so much strength.”

Amahle collapsed and, according to Jungwana, her mouth and tongue had turned white. Neighbours arrived and threw water on her.

She was taken to the nearby fire station as the area’s clinics were closed for the weekend. Amahle died at the fire station.

Amahle’s sister Babalwa Masala, 19, said this was not the first time someone in their neighbourhood had been shocked.

“Our neighbour who lives in the shack directly beneath the electric pole where the cable runs through was also shocked, but survived. I thought my sister would survive it too.”

Babalwa said at the time of the incident she was inside their home cleaning the bedroom. Amahle had just finished doing the washing and was about to wash the dishes.

She said she heard her sister’s cry for help and when she went outside, she saw her sister dangling from the wire.

“I feel very hurt and shocked by the incident. It scares me because we have been living here since birth and we never imagined something of this nature would happen. Not to my sister, of all people.”

Babalwa said Amahle wanted to study tourism. She said her sister was also a good singer and was part of the high school choir.

“Amahle used to sing for us here at home and was a very humorous person who loved entertaining people. I’m not sure how this house will be now that she is gone.

Eskom spokesman Andrew Etzinger confirmed the incident. He said Eskom management was deeply saddened.

“Our heartfelt condolences go out to her family.”

Etzinger said based on an initial investigation, it appeared that Amahle held on to a washing line for support as she stood up from her seat and was subsequently electrocuted.

He said Eskom technical staff arrived on the scene and inspected the area.

“There was no apparent indication as to how the washing line had been electrified. The incident is under investigation.”

zodidi.dano@inl.co.za

- Cape Argus

Poo protesters off the hook

Cape Town - Nine men on trial for dumping human waste at the airport were discharged on all but one charge at the Bellville Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

Andile Lili, Loyiso Nkohla, Yanga Mjingwana, Ben Dyani, Jaji Diniso, Bongile Zanazo, Thembela Mabanjwa, Bantubakhe Mgobodiya and Wandisile Mkapa will have to answer a charge of contravening a section of the Civil Aviation Act – which carries a sentence of up to 30 years’ jail.

They are accused of dumping human faeces at the entrance of Cape Town International Airport’s departure terminal on June 25 last year.

They appeared at the Bellville Regional Court on Monday to hear the outcome of their section 174 application, which their lawyer, advocate Pearl Mathibela, had filed with the court in October.

This followed the State’s decision to close its case against the men.

They were charged with contravening the Civil Aviation Act with an alternative count, contravening the National Environment Management Act with an alternative count, and contravening the city’s environmental health by-laws.

They were cleared of all but the first count.

In dismissing counts two and three, magistrate Nonkosi Saba agreed with Mathibela on many aspects, including that “waste” as defined by the by-laws or acts did not mean faeces.

She said the State had not brought evidence before the court to prove the nine men had conspired to cause a riot.

Saba said their intention was to shame the City of Cape Town. “The intention of the accused was not aimed at the aircraft, crew or the navigation facilities of the airport,” she said.

Saba, however, said their actions had affected the operations of the airport, with the entrance having to be cordoned off, forcing some passengers to use an alternative access.

In this regard the men had a case to answer to because someone stepping on the dumped faeces could have slipped and injured themselves.

Their application for discharge was refused.

The nine accused displayed considerable relief, in particular Lili, who pumped his fist and smiled in the dock when the magistrate freed them on some of the charges.

Outside court Lili told his supporters that their lawyers were devising a strategy to deal with the remaining count.

“Now our lawyers are going to look at how they deal with that part that speaks about (possible) injuries to passengers. The one that speaks about injuries is true, because if one would have walked on the (faeces, they could have slipped),” Lili said.

“This is a serious indication that we must not take for granted what we are standing for; the issue of sanitation which has become a problem for all of us,” Nkohla said.

The case was postponed until Thursday.

xolani.koyana@inl.co.za

- Cape Times

‘Deadly’ E.coli levels found in Cape river

Cape Town - A river flowing into scenic Gordon’s Bay has been found to contain potentially deadly levels of E.coli bacteria. It has sparked calls from the ANC for City of Cape Town officials to take immediate action and prevent life-threatening infections, especially among people with low immune systems and those living with HIV.

The Sir Lowry’s Pass River was found on October 23 to have an E.coli count of 130 000 per 100ml at the point where it flows into Gordon’s Bay.

The test was confirmed by the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS).

This count is four times that found by a DA health fact-finding mission into borehole water at the poor community of Mokopane in Limpopo, where the E.coli count was 40 000 per 100ml.

DA health spokesman Dr Wilmot James described a count this high as “highly pathogenic and unfit for human or animal consumption”.

But he pointed out that some of the water at Mokopane was for drinking, whereas the water in the Sir Lowry’s Pass River was not intended for human consumption.

The results on the Sir Lowry’s Pass River show the E.coli count increases dramatically as the river winds down to the ocean after passing through an informal settlement 6km upstream.

The information comes two weeks after a False Bay fish exporter revealed he found dangerously high levels of E.coli in harders (mullet) tested in July.

E.coli, or Escherichia coli, is normally found in the intestines of people and animals. Most E.coli is harmless, but its presence indicates the presence of pathogenic (illness-causing) compounds.

The young, elderly, pregnant and those with weakened immune systems, such as people with HIV, are particularly vulnerable.

“This could be devastating,” said the ANC’s acting spokesman Cobus Grobler. “An E.coli count that high is a potential killer, especially if you have TB or are HIV-positive, because you are then more prone to be infected.

“It can have severe, if not fatal, consequences. The city may not think it is serious but to the poor it is life-threatening,” said Grobler.

“The city seems to know there is a problem in that area, yet they are doing nothing. If this escalates they could find themselves legally liable.”

But mayoral committee member for health Benedicta Van Minnen said there was no need to be alarmed.

“The City of Cape Town cannot comment on these results as they were not analysed in the city’s laboratory and it is unclear how the samples were taken, stored and transported to the laboratory.”

She acknowledged that the count was over the limit for recreational water use as set by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry’s SA Water Quality Guidelines.

A single sample result should give an E.coli count of equal to or less than 1 000 per 100ml or it is unsafe for bathers and other water users. “However, the appropriate manner of testing is to weigh each single sample result against a number of fortnightly samples collected over three months.

“A single sample result does not really provide adequate information to draw any specific conclusions,” said Van Minnen.

Rivers passing through urbanised areas often had “background” pollution owing to contamination on hard surfaces that was washed into the river by rain. Blocked or overflowing sewers could also cause a problem.

“The water quality in the Sir Lowry’s River is therefore impacted to varying degrees at various locations. However, it does not impact on the overall water quality along the coastline. Bikini Beach is a Blue Flag-accredited beach and the water quality there is fine,” said Van Minnen.

“The water in the Sir Lowry’s River would be considered non-potable – it is not for consumption.”

The SABS report comes just three months after the DA embarked on a four-province water-testing tour in ANC municipalities.

The DA’s James, along with Kevin Mileham and Leon Basson, travelled across Limpopo, North West, Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape investigating the quality of drinking water and water supplies.

This was sparked by an outbreak of diarrhoea in Brits in North West that affected more than 500 people and led to the deaths of at least three babies.

James described an E.coli count of 40 000 per 100ml in boreholes in the community of Mokopane in Limpopo as highly pathogenic and unfit for human or animal consumption. “That will kill you if you drink it.”

The count at Gordon’s Bay is more than three times higher than found at Mokopane.

The DA vowed to take legal action against the ANC-run municipalities where high E.coli counts were discovered.

But on Wednesday, James told the Cape Argus the Gordon’s Bay results needed to be tested over a period by the National Health Laboratory before confirmed as reliable.

“Our oversight visits to the provinces examined E.coli levels in drinking water. The Gordon Bay tests were of non-potable river water not intended for human consumption.

“It appears as if the river in question is polluted as a result of dumping and contamination practices of civilians and possibly businesses.”

He said the city ran educational programmes to promote public health.

“We can always do more – including post warnings – and I give you our assurance we will do whatever is appropriate under the circumstances.”

elliott.sylvester@inl.co.za

- Cape Argus

One year old toddler killed in shack fire - SACP Cape Town

Party says incident occured against backdrop of DA govt failing to improve squalid living conditions of our people

SACP bemoans the passing on of a toddler due to a shack fire

The South African Communist Party (SACP) in the Western Cape has learnt with shock about the fire that destroyed three shacks and the unfortunate death of a 1 year toddler. This incident took place at YAB Section Site B, Khayelitsha on Saturday night 15th November 2014.

It is incidents like these that continue to anger the SACP in the Western Cape more particularly against the backdrop of an uncaring and unresponsive "Democratic Alliance" (DA) led government failing to improve the squalid conditions of our people.

It is unforgivable that the same City of Cape Town, in the midst of such squalor, decides to invest public funds to the speculative financial sector such as the R2.7 million which went the drain after the collapse of African bank.

As the SACP we are calling on the government to speedily assist the three families that have lost shelter, more specifically the family that has lost a toddler.

- Statement issued by SACP Brian Bunting District (Cape Town), Western Cape

Diverse imperatives cannot be contained in a mass housing programme

MINISTER of Human Settlements, Lindiwe Sisulu recently raised two controversial issues. One was that people younger than 40 should not expect free houses from government. Her logic is that they have not experienced apartheid firsthand. The other issue was that people selling or renting out their state-provided houses would be subject to a judicial tribunal.

Both points need urgent engagement to avoid fuelling anger and frustration. Calls have already been made to consider carefully young people’s prospects in the context of the present situation of high unemployment, low skill levels and low wages. We add our concern on the role housing plays in relation to poverty.

The rationale in 1994 was for the government to give fully subsidised housing to impoverished people to alleviate poverty, allowing them to use property as an asset. Conceptually this included the idea that the house could be used to generate income, such as letting part or all of it. It was also hoped that, eventually, the housing asset could be traded, should a household need to relocate or had found the means to move to better accommodation. Ultimately, subsidised housing was to form a component of the property market.

In 2000, the government reasoned such trading was appropriate only after a period of time and sought to restrict trade in the early years of occupation.

Our research shows that housing beneficiaries are indeed making use of their subsidised housing asset in various ways, including selling or renting the houses to others, although the extent of this unclear. Other strategies include living in the subsidised houses part-time, only on weekends or holidays, for example, if daily transport costs are too high or the location of the allocated house is inconvenient.

For many people these are rational and strategic responses to adverse conditions. They are ways to address the pressures of poverty. Criminalising these strategies does not enable beneficiaries to use the housing asset constructively to reduce poverty.

Underlying Sisulu’s condemnation of the sale or rental of RDP housing is the concern that, in disposing of an RDP house, beneficiaries might end up in worse rather than better living conditions. This is seen to undermine efforts to house the nation in formal accommodation. But the current drive by her department for decent shelter overlooks how people earn a living and the priority some might accord to minimising their living costs. These diverse imperatives cannot be contained in a mass housing programme of the sort adopted in 1994, notwithstanding the benefits that programme had for many.

The notion that the present pattern of free housing delivery is economically and spatially unsustainable has long been acknowledged. But to the long-unemployed, constrained by the uneven post-apartheid economy, the prospect of a RDP house may mean a lot. The challenges are how to change the approach of RDP housing without reducing the much-needed social benefits and how to support people’s efforts to reduce living costs and increase household income.

These are hard questions that require careful deliberation. One avenue to pursue is to greatly increase other forms of housing delivery as outlined in the decade-old Breaking New Ground. This would mainstream in-situ upgrading of informal settlements, while also accelerating the servicing of sites for self-built houses. For various reasons, this has not contributed to the overall housing production by the government to date.

Incremental, in-situ upgrading of informal settlements recognises the fragility and complexity of the livelihoods that poor households have secured in chosen localities. It aims to stitch these households more securely into the urban fabric while promoting dignity through community involvement in decision making for tangible and meaningful improvements. The emphasis is on interventions that support livelihoods. In recent years, extensive groundwork by the department’s National Upgrading Support Programme and the Housing Development Agency has paved the way for an approach that now needs full political support.

In the same vein, political support is needed for programmes that provide advantageously located low-cost rental housing, which can provide households and individuals with a base from which to accumulate resources. Additionally, a drive for well-located affordable serviced land can offer opportunities to consolidate long-term homes.

With the new mega-projects that are currently on Sisulu’s agenda, very careful planning will be required to ensure the state housing interventions positively transform SA’s towns and cities.

The minister’s recent statements seem to signal a willingness to change direction and tackle problems such as duplication and corruption in the demand database. This will be good news for those patiently waiting for a house for more than a decade.

From our base in an academic institution, we would like to see research findings considered and shared, potential consequences of new approaches examined and realistic alternatives sought for young people and those attempting to build an asset base.

Sisulu recently signed a social compact with the planning profession. While this is welcomed, there is a need for the public and private sectors, and civil and political society to engage more widely, so a constructive, participatory and mutually satisfactory outcome can be achieved for all.

• Charlton, Huchzermeyer, Klug and Rubin are with the Centre for Urbanism and Built Environment Studies at the School of Architecture and Planning at Wits University.

- BDLive

Heavy rain, flash floods warning

Certain provinces could experience flash floods due to heavy rain over the next two days, Weather SA said on Monday.

“Heavy falls leading to flash flooding are possible in the Free State, North West province, and the Western Cape for today,” forecaster Madimetja Thema said.

Weather SA had also released a weather watch for potential flash floods in Gauteng for Monday night and Tuesday morning.

The heavy rain was expected to spread to the Eastern Cape on Tuesday, Thema said.

“It is expected to let up by Tuesday evening.” - Sapa

Poo protest charges ‘trumped up’

Cape Town - Four men on trial for throwing human waste on the steps of the provincial legislature say the case against them is politically motivated and the provincial government and police set out to “trump up” charges against them.

On Tuesday, struggle songs and vuvuzelas resonated through the corridors of the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court as a large group of Ses’Khona People’s Rights Movement members sang, danced and ululated for hours in the street.

In the dock of court 20, Andile Lili, Loyiso Nkohla, Thembela Mbanjwa and Songezo Mvandaba appeared on charges of contravening various sections of the National Environment Management: Waste Act. They have pleaded not guilty and are accused of emptying buckets of human faeces on the steps outside the provincial legislature in Wale Street on June 3 last year.

Police constable Mxolisi Mdodi, who took statements from them, was in the witness stand.

Duncan Korabie, for the men was cross-examining Mdodi and questioned the credibility of those statements.

He argued that Mdodi’s warning statements were defective, that certain sections of his clients’ affidavits had been deleted, some were incomplete and not commissioned properly or not signed by a commissioner of oaths.

Korabie argued that the police and members of the provincial legislature “bolstered a case against the accused”.

Mdodi denied bolstering any case, saying he took down the relevant facts.

“And then you used that information with the assistance of the provincial government to pursue a political prosecution,” Korabie said adding that that was why the investigation was done “quickly and in a “haphazard way”. Mdodi said he had followed correct procedures.

Korabie later put it to Mdodi that the reason they had all the problems with the statements was because he and the provincial government tried to “trump up” charges against his clients.

The trial continues.

Meanwhile, earlier on Tuesday Lili, Nkohla and 22 other Ses’Khona People’s Rights Movement members declared victory on the steps of the Western Cape High Court where an application brought by the City of Cape Town preventing them staging illegal protests, was dismissed.

Earlier this year the city launched the high court application alleging that Lili and Nkohla, along with 22 others, had prominent roles in a series of protests last year.

The city said on Tuesday it would be studying the judgment “to determine whether further remedies should be pursued”.

“Ses’Khona should not be celebrating this short-lived victory,” it said.

“There are multiple cases pending against this organisation, which are all of a serious nature. We will continue to uphold the rule of law and to hold Ses’Khona accountable, and today’s verdict has no bearing on these separate matters.”

natasha.prince@inl.co.za

- Cape Argus

Here’s trouble, cop said of poo protesters

Cape Town - When police officer Errol Wildschudt saw four men entering through the doors of Cape Town International Airport – each carrying containers of human waste – he turned to his colleague and said: “Here comes trouble.”

Wildschudt was a warrant officer on duty the day the floor of the departures terminal of the airport was splashed with human waste.

On Wednesday he was testifying in the Bellville Regional Court in the matter involving nine people who were arrested for dumping the waste at the entrance of the terminal on June 25 last year.

In the dock, Ses’Khona People’s Rights Movement leaders Andile Lili and Loyiso Nkohla sat next to Yanga Njingwana, Ben Dyani, Bantubakwe Mgobodiya, Wandisile Mkapa, Jaji Diniso, Bongile Zanazo and Thembela Mbanjwa. They face charges of contravening the Civil Aviation Act.

Outside the court hundreds of protesters sang and danced. Inside, Wildschudt implicated four of the nine men who

emptied the containers at the airport.

Wildschudt, who identified Nkohla, Mbanjwa, Lili and Zanazo, followed Nkohla to a car where he found four more containers containing waste in the boot and assisted other officers to apprehend the men. He said he heard that more men had been arrested at a later stage.

The trial is set to continue on Thursday.

- Cape Argus

‘Something smelly about loo audit’

Cape Town - The Social Justice Coalition has given the City of Cape Town four weeks to respond to its damning social audit and demand for a city-wide sanitation plan, or it will take legal action against the metro.

According to the findings of the SJC’s social audit of toilets in Khayelitsha, released on Wednesday, more than half of the 500 communal flush toilets inspected were dirty outside and almost half were so filthy inside that they could not be used.

This meant that toilet pans were blocked with excrement or rubbish, or that seats were so dirty that they could not used.

The SJC has repeatedly asked the city to provide an implementation plan for the janitorial programme which it said is costing ratepayers R60 million.

But the city has hit back, accusing the SJC of refusing to work directly with it to improve conditions in informal settlements.

“Why does the SJC not report faults when they occur, but rather wait to compile ‘dossiers’ with out-of-date data for maximum self-serving publicity?” said Ernest Sonnenberg, the mayoral committee member for utility services.

According to the SJC, one in four of the toilets inspected during the week-long audit in July were not working.

Out of these, 15 percent were blocked, 12 percent had no water and six percent no longer had a sewage pipe.

Although janitors are responsible for fixing minor problems, the social audit found that most of the toilets needed major or minor repairs. These included problems such as broken cistern covers, missing or broken toilet handles, missing water pipes or toilet pans and 76 of the 528 toilets had a broken or missing door.

The SJC reported that most of the janitors employed by the city had a contract and worked regular hours. Almost all of the 31 janitors interviewed lived in the section in which they worked.

However, the SJC found that the janitors lacked the equipment they needed to do an effective job.

None of the 31 had water pliers and only six had toilet brushes.

The audit also raised serious concerns about the safety of the janitors working in the area. Only four had received any health and safety training, while six had not had any training.

Most of the janitors - 87 percent - were not being inoculated against diseases.

“This would indicate that the (city) has not prioritised inoculation and that the vast majority of janitors have been exposed to the risk of disease.”

Some residents clean the toilets themselves, because of the random cleaning done by some of the janitors.

The SJC contended that, in the absence of a clear plan, the city’s janitorial service had been “haphazard, poorly implemented and regularly ineffective”.

SJC project manager Axolile Notywala said residents were not consulted when the city started the service in 2012, and many now believed that it was not operating effectively.

Notywala said the SJC has asked the city to release its janitorial service plan within the next four weeks, and also respond to the recommendations of the SA Human Rights Commission’s sanitation report that highlighted gross shortcomings in the provision of basic services in informal areas.

Responding to the city’s accusations that the SJC was targeting the metro, which provides residents with universal access to water and “adequate” sanitation, Notywala said: “We know the issues exist elsewhere, but our people are in Khayelitsha”. He said a sanitation plan could be used as a model in informal settlements in other areas.

Notywala said the SJC was still willing to work with the city on finding solutions.

But Sonnenberg said the SJC had yet to apologise for the “inaccurate” information circulated at a previous audit on area cleaning. Given the SJC’s “past disingenuous conduct and fundamental lack of understanding of the programme”, it would not be included in the city’s own assessment of its janitorial service that would determine the future of this pilot project.

anel.lewis@inl.co.za

- Cape Argus

Sad state of Khayelitsha toilets revealed

Cape Town - Only 36 percent, or 188 out of 528 toilets visited during a social audit on Cape Town's janitorial services, were found to be clean inside, the Social Justice Coalition (SJC) said in a report released on Wednesday.

Twenty-eight percent of the toilets were in a dirty condition, while 21 percent were very dirty.

The report stated that cleaning toilets was the janitorial service's primary function. These findings indicated that the service was failing residents.

Three-quarters of 193 residents surveyed said their toilet was usually locked.

This was also a problem for the janitors, who said they could not easily access toilets to clean them, slowing down the cleaning process.

Only seven percent, or 14 of the 193 residents asked, said janitors cleaned toilets in their area seven days a week, while a third said toilets in their area were cleaned only once a week.

Some residents had opted to keep the toilets clean themselves.

“At the public hearing, premier Helen Zille said that it is not a bad thing for residents to clean toilets themselves, pointing out that she cleans her own toilet at home,” the SJC said in the report.

The social audit also found that janitors were not equally distributed in all areas, and the provision and replacement of cleaning and maintenance equipment appeared to be inconsistent.

The SJC drew up a list of demands to the City of Cape Town in relation to the janitor service. These included repairs of all broken toilets, plans for how janitors would be evenly distributed in the informal settlements and an effective strategy to deal with the problem of locked toilets.

- Sapa