DA stages sit-in at Emfuleni Municipality over Moscow crisis

TO HIGHLIGHT the ongoing sanitation crisis, the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng staged a sit-in at the Emfuleni Local Municipality (EML) offices, demanding immediate intervention and the provision of chemical toilets for residents of the Moscow informal settlement.

- MASABATA MKWANANZI

The DA alleges that the municipality has consistently failed to provide the community with proper sanitation, despite residents having lived in the area for over a decade.

Kingsol Chabalala, the DAs Constituency Head for Emfuleni North, said the party is demanding urgent intervention from Sedibeng District's MMC for Finance, Bishop Jones.

According to Chabalala, the DA wants the Emfuleni Local Municipality to immediately supply chemical toilets to the residents of Moscow as a temporary solution while proper sanitation facilities are being constructed to restore the community's dignity.

He further warned that if Bishop Jones fails to take action, the DA will have no choice but to report the matter to the Public Protector, as the continued lack of sanitation services constitutes a blatant violation of basic human rights.

Chabalala also stated that the DA has long called on the Gauteng government to formalise the provision of basic services in informal settlements, stressing the urgent need for essential infrastructure such as toilets.

“Unfortunately, this call has largely been ignored, and many informal settlements remain in a state of neglect— despite some, like Moscow, having existed for over a decade,’ he said.