By Jonk wa Mashamba
news@alexreporter.co.za
After numerous complaints, the City’s Human Settlement Department has decided to renovate the Helen Joseph Women’s Hostel, which the ActionSA Joburg Caucus welcomes, requests that they argued had previously fallen on deaf ears.
ActionSA COJ Councillor,
Omphemetse Matabane says she welcomes the city’s decision after endless pleas to tend to hostel’s crisis.
The caucus visited the area on August 14, 2023 to engage with the dwellers after the roof was damaged by rough winds and affected a large section of the flats. They also engaged with the Ombudsman regarding the dire state of the hostel.
Matabane said that during the visit, ActionSA made a commitment to the residents that it would ensure
that the city restored the dignity of dwellers and would therefore leave no stone unturned.
“It was through ActionSA’s constant engagements with various stakeholders that we saw the City attending to this issue and fixing the roof.
“In initially ignoring the plight of the hostel dwellers, the City overlooked Section 26 of the Constitution, which details that ‘everyone has a right to have access to adequate
housing’,” she said.
Matabane has called on the state to take reasonable legislative and other measures within its
available resources. This she said, was to achieve the progressive realisation of this right.
“We therefore urge other City departments to prioritise service delivery as opposed to being compelled to deliver, and implore the city to hire ethical leaders who are familiar with the scope of their work and the challenges that our City is facing,” said Matabane.
