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No change for Alexandra residents, says survey

RESIDENTS of Alexandra in Johannesburg feel the multibillion-rand Alexandra Renewal Project has not brought the changes envisaged in the township, the Democratic Alliance revealed

The DA conducted a survey three months ago where it spoke to residents, who said they did not feel the R2-billion project had helped them.

Releasing the findings yesterday in Johannesburg, DA member of the Gauteng legislature Mike Moriarty told journalists that 357 people were polled to gauge their satisfaction over the project.

The party's survey revealed that Alexandra residents had little hope of deriving any benefits from the project.

"There was a clear indication that, in spite of billions of rands having been invested in the ARP, the people of Alexandra perceive shortcomings in the township in terms of service delivery, housing and the general environment in terms of quality of life," Moriarty said.

The survey was conducted in "old Alexandra" - part of the township on the western side of the Jukskei River - as well as a section called K206, which is described as a new development.

Moriarty said the findings held no good news for the government.

"It is clear that the vast majority (90.1%) of those surveyed have heard of the Alexandra Renewal Project. But this is not necessarily good news for the government. This is because when asked whether the ARP has brought a better life, the respondents overwhelmingly (91%) declared that it had not."

The survey also revealed that 55% of respondents believed the project was about renewal, 15% about housing while 4.8% associated it with corruption.

Seven percent said the ARP had helped them, compared with 91% who felt otherwise.

Asked what they needed, 83.4% of residents polled said houses, while 7.9% said they needed jobs.

Moriarty denied the survey was political, but admitted that it was not independent.

Gauteng local government and housing spokesman Motsamai Motlhaolwa was not immediately available for comment. - molatlhwao@sowetan.co.za

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