Scores of Old Naledi residents thronged the area Kgotla meeting last week at which they were told that public water stand pipes will be disconnected at the end of the month.
They were also encouraged to apply and connect to the waste water network system that government has recently developed.
Formerly a crowded slump location, Old Naledi is undergoing developmental infrastructure facelift, including tarred roads and waste water drainage sewerage system, among others.
While in the past the Council supplied water for free, now as part of new developments residents are required to own standpipes inside their households.
But these developments come at a price for the residents.
Tenants find themselves having to shoulder the financial burdens.
“I fail to understand the reason why, as the payers of rent, you could not seize the opportunity as provided for by your landlords to use the money meant for rent and pay water connections for these compounds on their behalf,” wondered GCC town clerk, Egnes Seragi, to murmurs of disapproval from the audience.
Tenants whispered that such a move would be suicidal that might result in lodgers being evicted from the compound.
“Even the landlord would be pleased to learn you came to his/her rescue,” Seragi added.
Many Old Naledi landlords stay in more up-market parts of the city only coming at end of month to collect rentals.
Of the 1618 compounds, 1112 have connected standpipes while a considerable number of 506 are without.
Only a paltry 22 homes have full running water waste system (sewerage) as opposed to 70 applicants so far registered.
Residents are charged P1500 for water connections, with the drainage waste water system costing P336.
Crowded and partitioned, often totaling 15, Old Naledi rooms usually go for P500 each for electrified accommodation while for a simple ordinary room, landlords charge around P300.
Residents pleaded with Seragi and her entourage, which included Water Utilities Corporation personnel, to give them until end of March, during which time the tenants could have approached and persuaded their landlords to make payments for connections.
But the officials would not budge, insisting to disconnect the remaining standpipes come January 31st, citing October 31st postponement at which time GCC encouraged the residents to walk in tandem with the developments going around their location.
