The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) conducted an oversight visit to the Moscow informal settlement in the Emfuleni Local Municipality (EML) in response to mounting complaints from residents that their basic rights are being violated.
Families living in the settlement say they have been forced to rely on pit toilets and walk long distances to access water, with a single Jojo tank, serving more than 500 households, last filled by the municipality in 2023.
The visit comes after a sit-in staged in April at the EML offices, where the Democratic Alliance (DA) and residents demanded urgent intervention and the immediate provision of chemical toilets as a temporary relief measure.
The Star previously reported on the DA’s sustained pressure on EML, accusing it of allowing living conditions in Moscow to deteriorate to “dire and dangerous” levels. Residents described daily life without sanitation or reliable water as a constant struggle that exposes them to disease, particularly concerning as Gauteng is still recovering from the recent cholera outbreak.
Many expressed anger and exhaustion, saying the municipality has ignored their pleas for more than a decade, despite the settlement’s long-standing existence. The DA has argued that the neglect of Moscow mirrors a broader pattern of service delivery collapse across informal communities in the province.
DA Emfuleni North Constituency Head Kingsol Chabalala said the party fully welcomes the SAHRC’s oversight visit, adding that the DA itself lodged a formal complaint over what it calls “gross human rights violations” by both the Emfuleni Municipality and the Gauteng provincial government.
“Despite numerous complaints to the municipality, the MEC of Human Settlements and even the Premier have failed to intervene. Thirty-one years into democracy, residents are still using pit toilets and walking kilometres just to access water. The only Jojo tank they rely on hasn’t been filled since 2023,” Chabalala said.
He added that a DA-led provincial government would prioritise restoring dignity through basic services, pointing to Midvaal as an example.
“Where the DA governs, we deliver. In Midvaal, we’ve electrified Kuvukiland, installed water standpipes in Kuvukiland and Ext 5 Silahliwe, and ensured every stand has access to taps, all in just two financial years. Even the solar-powered Apollo lights in Sicelo have been fully repaired, ensuring streets remain lit during load shedding,” he said.
Chabalala said the DA remains committed to protecting the dignity and rights of all residents, “regardless of where they come from or how they arrived there.”
SAHRC provincial manager Zamantungwa Mbeki confirmed the oversight visit took place last week, adding that the commission is still consolidating its findings.
“We visited the community last week, and the full report has not yet been compiled,” she said. “I can confirm that we met with residents. There is only one water tank; the others were purchased by community members themselves, and at the time of our visit it was empty.”
Mbeki said the commission also noted that electricity was available in parts of the settlement but stressed that a thorough assessment is still underway.
“The Commission will now request a detailed plan from the municipality, outlining what has been done and what is intended. We will assess the feasibility and time frames of that plan. Enforcement will follow once we receive their response,” she added.
Previously, the Sedibeng District indicated that Moscow residents have been occupying privately owned land since 2021, which has complicated efforts to deliver basic services. The municipality said it had already submitted a business plan in 2023 to include the area in a provincial proposal for interim services, but it is still waiting for feedback.
Officials stressed that sanitation falls under the provincial government’s mandate, not the local municipality’s budget. They noted that while anyone is free to escalate the matter to oversight bodies, the responsibility for solutions ultimately lies with the province.
The Star
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