Diepkloof hostel residents want govt to fulfil promises of housing, access to water and electricity
Joburg Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda and several provincial government officials met with residents in Soweto on Thursday following protests earlier this week.
Diepkloof hostel residents during a meeting with Gauteng government officials on 21 March 2024 in Soweto. Picture: X/@KabeloGwamanda
JOHANNESBURG – As South Africa commemorates Human Rights Day, Diepkloof hostel residents are demanding proper housing, water, and electricity.
On Monday, the residents barricaded the N12 east and N1 north at the Diepkloof Interchange, protesting over what they called a deplorable state of living conditions.
Joburg Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda and several provincial government officials met with residents in Soweto on Thursday.
Gwamanda said the dire state at the hostel was reminiscent of the harsh living conditions during the apartheid era.
Demanding their basic right to adequate housing and human dignity, Diepkloof hostel residents urged Gwamanda to take action.
The mayor conceded that the hostel’s deplorable conditions had not changed since 1994, and promised to expedite the process of turning the situation around.
"As the City of Johannesburg, we are ready to approve the plans that are required with the provincial government so that we can be able to deliver a comprehensive plan that will restore the dignity of our people and change this approach of segregation that exists with structures of this nature."
This commitment comes after a previous meeting held in June 2023, following protests.