Infrastructure
In respect of families in the Khayelitsha informal settlement that are living on top of sinkholes:
Whether his Department has been made aware of this challenge; if so, (a) when was it made aware, (b) what is the number of families affected and (c) what intervention measures have been put in place to assist the families?
If the Member is referring to the SST informal settlement which is in Silvertown, according to my Departmental experts, soil erosion and not a sinkhole has been noted. This erosion has occurred due to the illegal water connections to the underground water infrastructure.
Furthermore, my Department is aware of illegal sand mining that is taking place near the Silvertown construction site, which has left the sewer and stormwater lines exposed. The area where illegal sand mining is being conducted does not affect the house structures but does create a potential danger for the children and public. These illegal water connections have been reported to the local authority and SAPS.
The City and the councillor have identified 16 families that need to be relocated urgently which include 37 families that have also built their structures along the stormwater line.
The City has identified potential land to relocate the 16 families to and I am informed that this land has the potential to accommodate a further 40 families.
