Lawlessness, anarchy and illegal land occupation are making it difficult to deliver services to Alexandra. That is the submission, outgoing Gauteng Human Settlements MEC, Uhuru Moiloa made to the inquiry into human rights violations in the embattled township.
The inquiry is also probing whether service delivery issues could be linked to maladministration and the abuse of power.
Two Chapter 9 institutions – the SA Human Rights Commission and the Public Protector’s Office – are knuckling down on one thing they have in common, concern for human rights; and Alexandra township provides the perfect backdrop for this probe.
“There’s an expectation that Alexandra must do everything by itself. It’s not some sort of an island,” says Deputy Director General of National Human Settlements, Neville Chainee.
There are many questions over allegations of corruption and improper conduct in the multi-million rand Alex Renewal Project.
“I think we must concede there were failures. It was R1.3 billion announced by President Mbeki for the Alex Renewal Project, it was adopted by three spheres of government, and each had to contribute. In 2015, a performance audit was commissioned and conducted by the office of Auditor-General, there was no nice thing about management,” Chainee argued.
Chief Director of Gauteng Human Settlements urged the commission to check all their facts in probing the mismanagement in the project.
The outgoing Gauteng MEC for Human Settlements MEC says lawlessness has severely hampered development in the area.
“Until we have resolved the land issues we’re not going to be able to improve Alexandra. For Alexandra to develop there has to be order and law, general agreement in terms of how it needs to be improved. There’s state of complete lawlessness and anarchy that’s happening in Alexandra, this include illegal occupation of land,” says Moiloa.
The Alexandra Inquiry will now take a break and resume next month when the Cooperative Governance or Department Of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) department is expected to take the stand.
