Over half a million of Johannesburg’s 5.8 million people live in 181 informal settlements. The number of Covid-19 cases in the City increased rapidly from 971 on 6 May 2020 to 1,153 on 15 May 2020, a jump of 20 percent in less than 2 weeks. Shared water and toilet facilities make Johannesburg’s informal settlement residents extremely vulnerable to infections. Residents participating in the Asivikelane initiative reported dire water and sanitation problems over the last six weeks. There efforts to engage with the City have met with a slow response.
