Tembisa Archives

November 14, 2022November 14, 2022

DA action sees GDHS register title deeds for Inxiweni residents in Tembisa

The Gauteng Department of Human Settlements (GDHS) has succumbed to the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) pressure to issue title deeds to the rightful beneficiaries of Inxiweni Walkup RDP houses in Tembisa, Ekurhuleni.

Immediately after a DA public meeting with the rightful beneficiaries of Inxiweni Walkup RDP houses, the GDHS visited the area to begin the process of collecting Home Subscriber Server (HSS) forms. These forms are used to collect data about the rightful beneficiaries to register their title deeds

Please see the photos here and here.

It has been 13 years since the beneficiaries of Inxiweni were allocated their houses and have still not been issued title deeds. This delay has severely affected these residents who have no documents to use as proof of ownership of the housing units that they live in.

GDHS has promised the residents that the process of registering the title deeds will begin this week so that they can have their security of tenure and human dignity restored.

We will continue to monitor this process to ensure that all the rightful beneficiaries of Inxiweni receive their title deeds.

Where the DA governs in municipalities across the province, we ensure that all beneficiaries of housing projects are issued with title deeds so that they can have full ownership of their properties for the benefit of their families.

September 15, 2022September 15, 2022

Tembisa residents are exposed to terrible conditions while accessing SASSA services

The residents of Tembisa continue to be exposed to appalling conditions when accessing social services at the Rabasotho SASSA office which is in dire need of refurbishment.

The residents are forced to queue outside because there is no waiting area or adequate space to accommodate them. During the rainy season, pensioners and mothers carrying babies have to be cramped in a small room that is used by SASSA officials as an office. The ablution facilities are not adequate as males and females are sharing.

The environment is not conducive to rendering social services to our people.

In 2015, the DA tabled questions in the National Assembly about the upgrades of this SASSA office. The former Minister of Social Development, Bathabile Dlamini, stated that the Rabasotho SASSA office will not be upgraded by SASSA as the Ekurhuleni Municipality has confirmed that the building is earmarked for upgrade within their Urban Renewal programme.

The DA councillors in Ekurhuleni also tabled a motion in Council proposing that the City of Ekurhuleni must speed up the construction of the proposed precinct starting with the office space for SASSA. They also demanded the progress report and timelines from the SASSA management about the relocation of the SASSA office.

Six years later, no such upgrading has happened our people continue to endure terrible conditions at this office.

The DA has submitted a petition with over 2000 signatures to the National Assembly demanding the upgrades of the Rabasotho SASSA office.

Furthermore, today, the DA’s activist Nombulelo Dubula, a resident from Ward 7 Tembisa made a presentation to the Social Development Portfolio Committee in the National Assembly about the terrible state of the Rabasotho SASSA office and demanded urgent intervention.

The SASSA CEO was also in attendance when the presentation was made.

The DA through its members in the National Assembly will continue to ensure that there is budget set aside for the upgrading of this much needed facility.

We will continue to fight for a dignified SASSA office for Tembisa residents.

April 20, 2021April 20, 2021

Gauteng Department of Social Development to pay R500 000 to fix Tembisa Old Age Home structural defects as contractor no longer exists

It is extremely concerning that the Gauteng Department of Social Development now has to pay R500 000 for repairing the structural defects at the Tembisa Home for the Aged as the contracted company no longer exits.

This information was revealed in a reply to my written question tabled in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL) to the Gauteng MEC for Social Development, Morakane Mosupyoe.

Built in 2012, the Tembisa Home for the Aged only opened its doors to elderly residents two years later in October 2014.

According to the Mosupyoe, at the time of the facility’s official hand-over, there were no visible structural defects. However, the City of Ekurhuleni’s Real Estate Department identified serious structural defects during the assessment of the facility in May 2019 which led to its closure.

The assessment engineers found that there were no lintels installed above door and window frames and openings, and as a result, the brick walls had sagged, creating the danger of the walls collapsing at any moment.

The department evidently did not conduct a proper assessment of the facility before and during the hand-over, which also indicates a severe lack of project management experts from the department.

Had a proper assessment been conducted before accepting the facility, such defects could have been identified and fixed by the contractor at no cost.

Furthermore, Mosupyoe states that the contract company no longer exits, and the department has started the process of procuring the service provider to fix the identified structural defects at an estimated cost of R500 000. The work will be completed before the end of July 2021.

It has now become a norm for Gauteng Provincial Departments to sign off on projects without conducting proper assessments, resulting in costing taxpayers millions of rand to fix the defects that could have been corrected by the contractor.

We will continue to monitor the progress of the work being done to fix the structural defects.

We call on MEC Mosupyoe to ensure that once this facility once completed is efficiently utilised for the benefit of the Tembisa residents.

December 30, 2020January 11, 2021

Are new hospital beds in Gauteng ready for January Covid-19 wave?

Gauteng Premier David Makhura promised that 2000 new beds would be built at existing hospitals to treat COVID-19 patients.

These beds were all supposed to be ready for an expected surge in August/September, but by this time the first surge of cases was on the way down.

According to the latest figures there are currently 2549 COVID-19 patients in Gauteng hospitals, both public and private. At the peak of the surge in July there were 7500 COVID-19 patients, so the extra 2000 beds should significantly ease the strain if they are properly staffed and equipped.

Reconfiguration has added 282 general beds at the Discoverers, Tembisa, Lenasia South, and George Mukhari hospitals, and 254 more High Care/ICU beds at the Tembisa, Helen Joseph, Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg, Chris Hani Baragwanath, Tshwane District and Kopanong hospitals. Another 176 ICU beds were supposed to be completed at the Anglo Ashanti Hospital in Carletonville.

1400 completely new High Care/ICU beds were promised at the following hospitals:

Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital – 500
Jubilee Hospital – 300
George Mukhari Hospital – 300
Kopanong Hospital – 300

In addition to this, there are 1000 low-level beds at the NASREC field hospital which has been largely empty, and fewer than 10% of its beds were used at any one time. The poorly-drafted 6 month contract for this facility ends on 31 January next year and more than R200 million has been paid for hundreds of empty beds. A more rational and cost-effective contract is needed for any beds that may be needed there after January.

Mistakes have been made with wasteful spending on beds that may not be used fully because of their location and lack of staff – this is particularly the case with the Anglo Gold Hospital which was renovated at the exorbitant budgeted cost of R589 million.

The big challenge is proper staffing, equipment and oxygen supplies for all the extra beds.

I welcome the 246 extra staff that will start work in January at the Chris Hani Hospital, and I hope the other hospitals have enough staff to cope with the expected surge of COVID-19 cases next year.

I have requested the Chairperson of the Gauteng Legislature’s Health Committee for an urgent meeting to get a full briefing from the Gauteng Health Department on their state of readiness for the surge to come.

We need to ensure that everything is done to ensure we have enough hospital staff with sufficient resources, including decent Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

September 29, 2020September 29, 2020

No shelter for abused people in Tembisa despite being top 3 GBV hotspot nationally

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng is disappointed to learn that there is no shelter for abused people in Tembisa, Ekurhuleni despite Tembisa being identified as the number three national hotspot for gender-based violence.

This information was revealed by the Gauteng Department of Social Development MEC, Nomathemba Mokgethi in a written reply to the DA’s written questions tabled in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL).

According to the MEC, there is no shelter for abused people in Tembisa.

This is very worrying because there is a high number of gender-based violence cases being reported in Tembisa. According to the recent gender-based violence statistics of the top 30 gender-based violence hotspots presented by the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, Tembisa ranks third nationally.

Furthermore, there are not enough social workers in the area considering the population of over 512 000 people as the department has only deployed 40 social workers in Tembisa.

It is high time that the department consider working with the NGOs in the area to establish a shelter for abused people in Tembisa.

The DA will continue to put pressure on MEC Mokgethi to establish a facility for abused people in Tembisa to ensure that the victims and survivors of gender-based violence receive prompt and effective services and prevent secondary victimisation of the survivors.

We further call on Gauteng MEC for Community Safety, Faith Mazibuko to ensure that the Green Door programme is prioritised to provide adequate and effective services and support to the victims and survivors of gender-based violence in Tembisa.

November 30, 2016

Kempton Park Hospital Construction Delayed

In a written response to a DA question regarding the Gauteng Department of Health’s plans for the Kempton Park Hospital in Ekurhuleni, Health MEC, Qedani Mahlangu, indicated that the department plans to demolish the existing hospital and building a new one in its place.

The MEC indicated that demolition will only start in the new year.

This is contrary to her response to an Oral Question in the Legislature earlier this year, where she stated that at the end of 2016, there would be an architectural design finalised and that construction would commence in 2017.

Further delays on Kempton Park Hospital are unacceptable as residents are becoming increasingly impatient with the slow pace of delivery on the site.

According to the MEC, the cost for the new hospital has not yet been finalised.

(Click here to view the reply).

The DA welcomes the new 350-bed Level 1 District Hospital which the department intends to build as this will increase access to quality health facilities to the residents of Kempton Park and Tembisa.

This will decrease the pressure on Tembisa Hospital which is currently struggling to cope with the increasing demand for health care.

The DA will monitor the progress of construction whilst keeping a very close eye on supply chain management procedures and adherence to the Public Financial Management Act.

Media enquiries:

Refiloe Ntsekhe MPL

Constituency Head: Tembisa

060 558 8297

[Image source]

March 9, 2016

Gauteng Budget: No Plan For Kempton Park Hospital

Re-opening of Kempton Park Hospital

In tabling her 2016/17 budget, Gauteng MEC for Finance, Barbara Creecy, indicated that the Tembisa Hospital would be upgraded – but made no mention of the re-opening of the Kempton Park Hospital.

In July last year, MEC for Health, Qedani Mahlangu indicated that there were talks about either renovating the old Kempton Park Hospital, or building a completely new facility on the premises of the old site.

It appears that this idea has been completely scrapped.

Tembisa Hospital

The Tembisa Hospital, which services both Tembisa and Kempton Park, only has 800 beds and cannot cope with the number of patients who depend on government for medical help.

While the upgrade to the hospital is needed – it will still not be sufficient to adequately service the region.

The DA will continue to call for the re-opening of the Kempton Park Hospital to ensure that residents have access to adequate and quality healthcare.

Media enquiries:

Refiloe Ntsekhe MPL

Constituency Head: Tembisa

060 558 8297

[Image source]

October 5, 2015

EMM City Manager must act on Tembisa sewerage spillages

The ANC run Ekurhuleni Metro Municipality has failed to fix a number of sewerage leakages in Tembisa.

I have submitted petitions to the municipality over the past four months calling on them to address the sewerage leakages in Wards 10, 11 and 90 in Tembisa, but they have failed to permanently fix these leakages to date.

Instead, municipal officials temporarily fix these spills, only for these to return a few days later.

As a result, these spillages are a weekly occurrence and residents are forced to walk through sewerage filled streets on a regular basis.

In Ward 11 next to the Umthmbeka Primary School, spillages have resulted in the school not being able to use their garden as the sewerage leaks onto the property. This poses a major health risk for learners and teachers at the school.

Every South African citizen has the right to live in a safe and healthy environment

The DA believes that every South African citizen has the right to live in a safe and healthy environment. By allowing sewerage to spill into the streets of Tembisa on a daily basis, the Ekurhuleni Metro is failing in their responsibility to keep their residents safe.

In August, after the DA tested the water of the Kaalspruit in Tembisa and found that the water contains a high amount of harmful bacteria, mainly due to faecal contamination, Ekurhuleni Metro spokesperson Themba Gadebe conceded that the metro’s infrastructure needs to be upgraded and better maintained.

Yet nothing has been done about the aging sewerage infrastructure in Tembisa.

On the 4^th of September 2015, the DA laid charges against Ekurhuleni City Manager Khaya Ngema for contravening the National Water and Environmental Act and also wrote the South African Human Rights Commission about the quality of water in Tembisa.

The DA now calls on Ekurhuleni City Manager, Khaya Ngema, to adhere to his responsibilities and provide a permanent solution to the constant sewerage spillages and pure quality of water in Tembisa.

Media enquiries:

Phillip Thamahane

DA PR Councillor: Ward 10, 11 & 90

Lethabong Constituency Chairperson

073 910 7272

[IMAGE SOURCE]

September 29, 2015

Centurion Taxi Violence A Result Of Inadequate Facilities

Gauteng’s Public Transport System

An enquiry into the causes of yesterday’s violent confrontations at the Centurion taxi rank will unfortunately reveal the same continuous problems in this vital sector of Gauteng’s public transport system.

A recent investigation into the province’s taxi industry revealed that a toxic mix of criminal activity, disregard for laws and regulations, and deep-rooted official corruption underlie the industry.

The Centurion violence was apparently sparked by a dispute between Centurion and Tembisa operators as the latter allegedly ignored their route authorisation by dropping commuters in Centurion and taking them back to Tembisa.

Taxi operators regularly either deliberately muscle in on routes for which they have no permission or obtain illegal duplicate route permits from officials.

Lack of Official Regulation

Lack of official regulation of the taxi industry convinces rogue operators that there will be no consequences for illegal behaviour.

In the face of rampant criminality, the police point to a lack of crime intelligence and intimidation of commuters, which guarantee that hit squads and enforcers are never fingered, much less charged, in this situation.

Centurion is likely to remain a taxi violence hotspot, as the area where the rank is located is under development, and operators fear they will either be forced to move to a much less convenient area for commuters or be given an area too small to accommodate their vehicles.

Some years ago the DA proposed that each new large development be obliged by law to provide adequate taxi facilities, precisely to reduce turf wars, but the Tshwane Metro has thus far taken no notice.

Perhaps reason could still prevail and Centurion might become a test case for a more easily monitored and controlled taxi operation.

Media Enquiries:

Justus de Goede MPL

DA Gauteng Spokesperson on Transportation

060 558 8305

[Image source]