This week, the Planact team is spending time in Witbank/ Emalahleni in Mpumalanga with journalists from Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism to support them with capturing stories on the inadequate basic service delivery in the informal settlement communities we work with.
Masakhane, an old low income community just next to Duvha Power Station has only just been electrified after years of making unsuccessful requests for free basic electricity. For years electric pylons passed right above their heads in Witbank trailing towards Johannesburg. It took understanding on how #municipal #budgets work for their requests to be included into the Emalahleni Local Municipality’s integrated development plan (IDP). Masakhane was electrified two months ago.
In Benicon, another low income community next to Masakhane, a number of services such as water and sanitation are not adequately delivered but the community recently received a confirmation of in-situ upgrading and formalization. A community securing tenure is a great achievement towards land rights.
Planact celebrates these successes with these two communities.
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