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The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng is disappointed that there will be further delays in the in-situ upgrade project for Slovo Park Informal Settlement and Crosby residents. The 2023/2024 budget reveals that the project is still in stage two of the feasibility study, with no clear timeline for implementation.

While we welcome the increase in budget allocation for this project, it is unacceptable that the upgrade remains at the feasibility stage.

It is frustrating that the informal settlement was identified for an in-situ upgrade in the 2019/2020 financial year through the Upgrade of Informal Settlement Programme (UISP), yet no progress has been made. The project was planned in two phases, as an in-situ upgrade and Green Fields, which would have provided 1832 homes to families in the area.

Residents of Slovo Park and Crosby have been suffering from appalling neglect for over two decades, with no end in sight. It is unacceptable that they continue to endure hardships, including a lack of basic services such as housing, electricity, water, and sewerage infrastructure, as well as a continuous shortage of water supply due to Rand Water's inability to supply water to supply towers.

The DA believes all residents deserve dignity and a decent quality of life. However, the ongoing delays in implementing these upgrades indicate that the ANC-led government under the leadership of Premier Panyaza Lesufi cares little about the plight of residents.

The DA will continue to put pressure on the Gauteng MEC for Human Settlements, Lebogang Maile, to prioritise allocating a budget for the upgrades of Slovo Park Informal Settlement and apply pressure on the City of Johannesburg to increase electricity capacity for Crosby residents to improve their living conditions. We urge the government to act urgently and ensure that all our people have access to basic necessities such as water, electricity, and sanitation, as stipulated by the constitution.

Issued by Sergio Isa Dos Santos MPL - DA Constituency Head- Johannesburg Central