Latest news with #GDID
The Citizen
7 days ago
- The Citizen
Water restored to 23 NGOs after Joburg High Court order
The High Court ruled in favour of 23 NGOs after water was cut illegally at their premises, disrupting child welfare services. The Johannesburg High Court ordered the City of Johannesburg and Johannesburg Water to restore water to a building that houses 23 NGOs, including organisations focused on children's rights and rehabilitation. The city and Johannesburg Water have reached a settlement with Section27, representing the Children's Memorial Institute (CMI), to reconnect the water supply to the property situated at 13 Joubert Street in Parktown. Water cut at property housing NGOs This occurred after the water supply to the building was cut on 14 June 2024, without following the procedural requirements outlined in Section 62 of the city's by-law. CMI is occupied by 23 NGOs operating on the property. These NGOs provide a safe refuge for abused children, offer therapy and counselling – particularly for children with disabilities – and run psychosocial programmes for disadvantaged youth. ALSO READ: NGOs say foreigners in SA told to return to their countries when opening cases against Operation Dudula The registered owner of the property is the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure and Development (GDID). The main occupants of the building are the School of Autism, a public school, and Charlotte Maxeke's laundry services. Section 27 said that the Gauteng Department of Health and the Gauteng Department of Education are responsible for covering the basic municipal fees for the School of Autism, as well as the laundry services. 'The 23 NGOs based on the property have been adversely affected by the disconnection of water services. Despite efforts to resolve the matter with the GDID and the city, no resolution was reached,' the organisation said. Property owned by GDID On 8 July 2025, the CMI filed an urgent application with the Johannesburg High Court. The institute requested that the water supply be restored immediately and that the city and Johannesburg Water not cut off water services until the necessary procedures are completed. ALSO READ: Gauteng NPOs struggle as social development cuts funding, says DA In response, the city and Johannesburg Water argued that the owner's account statement, which included a pre-termination notification, was sufficient to trigger service termination. These notices were issued to the owner, the GDID. 'However, the NGOs received no such notice and, as a result, were adversely impacted by the disconnection. The city's conduct is contrary to their city by-laws,' Section27 said. Court order to restore water supply within 48 hours On Tuesday, Judge Mudunwazi Makamu granted an order directing the city to restore the water supply within 48 hours and instructed the parties to engage in settlement and the resolution of accounts. The GDID, as the owner of the property, was also ordered to facilitate the division of accounts for services commencing 1 August 2025. ALSO READ: MES says CEO 'absolved' after claims of BEE violations and financial misconduct The department is required to report to the court on the facilitation process for dividing the account within 14 days of the court order. Section27 and the CMI welcomed the order. 'The water restoration brings much-needed reprieve to 23 NGOs who have experienced severe challenges without a water supply,' Section27 said. 'The NGOs are now able to continue their vital services in a hygienic and dignified manner and can continue serving their beneficiaries with the professionalism that they deserve.'
The Citizen
02-07-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
Province takes metro to court over land invasion, dumping near Hennops
The Gauteng Provincial Government is taking the Tshwane metro to court over illegal land invasions and dumping in Glen Lauriston near the Hennops River in Centurion. The area has suffered significant environmental damage due to pollution and unregulated human settlements. Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo confirmed that the metro had been served with court papers relating to the matter. He emphasised that the city is fully aware of the situation and its implications for the environment, particularly the Hennops River. Mashigo noted that the Tshwane metro's environmental management inspectors (Green Scorpions) had already taken steps by issuing a directive under Section 28 of the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) to the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development (GDID). GDID owns the land in question. 'NEMA Section 28 requires that every person who causes, has caused or may cause significant pollution or degradation of the environment must take reasonable measures to prevent such pollution or degradation from occurring, continuing or recurring,' he said. He added that if the harm to the environment is authorised by law or cannot be reasonably avoided, the act still obliges those responsible to minimise and rectify such pollution or degradation. Mashigo explained that this responsibility extends to any landowner, occupier or person with control or legal rights to the land or premises. 'In light of non-compliance with the directive, the matter has been handed over to the Gauteng Department of Environment for possible criminal prosecution. The Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) also continues to enforce municipal waste management by-laws in the area.' To prevent similar environmental degradation in the future, Mashigo said the metro is engaging with the Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni metros to manage transboundary pollution. 'The city is in the process of identifying suitable properties to establish multipurpose waste sorting facilities to ensure that waste sorting activities are conducted in an environmentally compliant manner,' he added. This legal action from the provincial government follows a sustained campaign by the DA, which has allegedly been pushing for government intervention since 2021. In May, DA provincial spokesperson for Environmental Affairs, Leanne de Jager, announced that the party's long-standing advocacy had led to the Gauteng government initiating legal proceedings against the Tshwane metro. 'The illegal invaders are residing on the banks of the Hennops River, which has a severe environmental impact on the water system and air quality. 'They also dump refuse inside the river, exacerbating the problem,' she said. De Jager emphasised that ensuring the Hennops River system remains free from illegal dumping is crucial for water quality, local air quality, and preventing soil contamination on provincial land. She explained that the party had used multiple channels to address the issue over the past four years, including tabling questions in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, submitting petitions, and engaging provincial departments to take action. According to De Jager, the case will be heard in court on August 13. 'This case sets an important precedent, showing that community action backed by political leadership can result in meaningful environmental accountability,' she stated. She added that a DA-led Gauteng government would prioritise the protection of provincial land and ensure that the Green Scorpions deliver on their mandate to monitor rivers and ensure they are free from pollution. While the legal process plays out, broader efforts to address the pollution of the Hennops River system are already underway at a local level. Last month, Tshwane Mayor Dr Nasiphi Moya announced that the metro had officially partnered with the Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni metros to tackle one of the Hennops River's most critical upstream pollution sources, the Kaalspruit River. The Kaalspruit River originates in Ekurhuleni and flows through Johannesburg before merging with the Hennops River. It has been identified as a key contributor to the pollution crisis affecting the entire river system. Moya said the collaboration among the three metros was formalised during a joint meeting on May 26, which she described as a defining moment for her administration. 'For too long, we have been plagued by the declining state of the Hennops River and overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness because of our inability to address the upstream causes of pollution,' said Moya. She explained that urbanisation, informal settlements near riverbanks, and the dumping of raw sewage and municipal waste have all contributed to the environmental collapse of the Kaalspruit and, by extension, Hennops. 'This river system is deteriorating fast. Illegal sand mining and sewer mining have also compounded the situation, leading to excessive erosion and the silting up of the entire system, all the way past the Hennops River and down to Hartbeespoort Dam,' she said. 'It is by overcoming the blame game that the three metros can accept that we are in this together and committed to doing whatever it takes to fix it.' Moya said the agreement between the municipalities includes the establishment of an inter-metro multidisciplinary Kaalspruit Task Team, made up of senior officials from the respective metros. This team will regularly report to the three mayors and align existing plans into a combined proposal with technical interventions and funding requirements. Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to [email protected] or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
13-05-2025
- General
- IOL News
Gauteng officials urge national disaster declaration for Centurion's sinkhole crisis
Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Jacob Mamabolo, visited a newly formed sinkhole in Centurion, accompanied by City of Tshwane MMCs Sarah Mabotsa and Kholofelo Morodi. Image: Supplied The Gauteng Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) department is collaborating with the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure and Development (GDID) and the City of Tshwane to address the growing sinkhole crisis in Centurion by seeking national assistance to rehabilitate affected areas. Cogta MEC Jacob Mamabolo announced on X after visiting a newly formed sinkhole in Lyttelton Manor, Centurion, that the three parties are in the process of compiling a detailed report on the Centurion sinkhole situation. He said the objective for putting together a comprehensive report was to secure resources from the national government to rehabilitate the affected areas. He explained that the work of the technical and professional teams from GDID is crucial in assessing the full extent of sinkhole damage in the area. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ 'Over the past few years, 63 sinkholes have formed in this area alone, posing serious risks to infrastructure, safety, and development. Accurate assessments are the first step toward meaningful intervention,' he said. Tshwane MMC for Corporate and Shared Services, Kholofelo Morodi, who was with Mamabolo, confirmed 63 sinkholes in the area. However, she noted it was challenging to provide a timeline for addressing the issue due to various factors. 'At this stage, we have tried to ensure that the communities are aware. We tried to make their lives a little bit comfortable by making sure we cordon off the sinkhole (in Lyttelton Manor) and making the arrangements for them to have access to water and electricity,' she said. She reiterated that the city has made a call for the sinkhole issue to be declared a national disaster, which would unlock financial assistance from the national government. 'When we had 55 sinkholes, we estimated that we needed about R250 million. So, that cost has gone up now because we are on sinkhole number 63,' she said. She also said the area is an old town with deteriorated infrastructure, and that water leaks are significantly exacerbating the problem. 'I think in the past, Tshwane was not investing in infrastructure. We were spending 2% of the budget, and that is against the Treasury recommendation. So, there is a need for us to invest in the infrastructure,' she said. Earlier this year, Morodi reported that the municipality faced a budget shortfall of over R180 million, despite allocating R14.7 million to address the sinkhole crisis in Centurion. Municipal spokesperson Lindela Mashigo previously said the city had formally asked the National Disaster Management Centre to declare the sinkhole issue in Tshwane a national disaster. The national Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs spokesperson, Legadima Leso, has not responded to questions about whether the National Disaster Management Centre will declare the Tshwane sinkhole issue a national disaster.
IOL News
29-04-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Is Gauteng's R34 million rental bill justifiable? Premier Lesufi seeks answers
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has hired an independent forensic firm to investigate the provincial government's expenditure on lease agreements after it emerged that R34 million is being paid out monthly for rentals. Last week, DA Gauteng spokesperson for infrastructure development, Khathutshelo Rasilingwane issued a statement, saying the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development (GDID) wastes over R34 million monthly on office rentals, while 41 provincial government buildings stand empty and abandoned. 'Instead of wasting taxpayers' money on renting office space, GDID must fix the buildings that are not in use due to non-compliance with Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) standards,' Rasilingwane said at the time. On Tuesday, Panyaza's spokesperson Vuyo Mhaga told broadcaster Newzroom Afrika that the ongoing investigation seeks to ascertain if the huge rentals bill is wasteful expenditure for the province. Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel. 'I think it (the probe) is to ascertain whether there is wasteful expenditure by our government and what are other options. Other options have been toyed around, part of it being to go through private-public partnership, which we think is a very viable option to bring back some of government buildings which are dilapidated,' he said. Mhaga said it is anticipated that the investigators would not take much time in the probe. Additionally, Mhaga said the Gauteng government has an ongoing mega project to revitalise the Joburg central business district, which has been abandoned by the majority of private sector businesses who moved to areas like Sandton and Rosebank.
