Makhura in troubled Hammanskraal as part of Ntirhisano community outreach programme

Gauteng Premier David Makhura and members of his executive, on Wednesday, arrived in Hammanskraal, in Tshwane, as part of the Ntirhisano community outreach programme.

There is a strong police presence in  the area, including a police armoured Inyala. 

The township has recently seen violent protests after residents took to the streets in protest against dirty water.

After a closed meeting, that started at noon on Wednesday at the local Tshwane municipal offices, the entourage is expected to conduct site visits at the Rooiwal Waste Treatment Plant, Temba Dam, Temba Purification Plant as well as the Hammanskraal Business Process Outsourcing Park.

The delegation  will round off with a community meeting in Kanana Open Field where the premier and his executive will interact with community members on service delivery issues.

Residents said they will raise the issue of dirty water that they believe is contaminated, saying they will demand answers as to when the water situation will be addressed.

“We have complained to the South African Human Rights Commission after many years of trying to get the attention of the authorities. The (Tshwane) municipality insists that though the water is not clean, it is drinkable. We are saying the water is making us sick,” resident Jabulani Nkosi said.

According to the Ntirhisano’s Hammanskraal community profile, the township has a population of 21 345, with a total of 6 665 households.

Access to piped water  for the population is at 82.9% while 14.2% receive their water supply from water tankers.

More than half of the population has flushing toilets. Regarding the level of education, 35% of the population has matric and 36.9% has some form of secondary schooling.

Ntirhisano is a collaborative service delivery system aimed at improving government’s service delivery capacity and to build an activist public service that is responsive to people's needs.

This is Makura's third visit to the community as part of the programme. His first visit  was conducted in February 2016 while a follow up visit was in May 2017.