Today I visited the hostels and surrounding areas of zone 11 in Meadowlands, Soweto, to expose the terrible sanitation issues in this community.

Free-flowing sewerage and other health hazards were clearly visible throughout the area. Children could be seen playing outside in this environment and members of the community had to drive over the rivers of waste to get around.

Only a handful of portable toilets and dysfunctional permanent toilets serve this community of over 150 households.

I will be writing to the Human Rights Commission (HRC) to request an urgent investigation into these conditions. What we found today in Meadowlands is a clear violation of section 24 of the Bill of Rights in our Constitution, which states that “everyone has the right to live in an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being”.

These conditions are ignored by government while ANCYL members continue their vulgar protests in the Western Cape, where both the DA-run province and City of Cape Town are leading the delivery of flush and chemical toilets to residents. This delivery record is up to 90.5% and 97.2 % respectively.

The ANCYL should focus instead on the clear human rights violations taking place under their own governments, both in Meadowlands and in other parts of our country. We will continue to expose these until every South African is given the opportunity to live with dignity in a healthy environment.