Voices of South Africa’s Informal Settlement Residents during the COVID-19 Crisis

Updates

Week of February 24, 2021

Our latest release reports that water, sanitation and refuse removal services in informal settlements have deteriorated all over the country in the last few months, with not a single green traffic light for metro service delivery.

Download the PDF.

Download the data for metros and non metros.

Week of November 18, 2020

Metros: As 2020 comes to a close, our latest release focused on what municapilities and the Asivikelane campaign should do in 2021. Download the PDF.
Non-Metros: Some municipalities have responded, but access to water and sanitation remains limited. Download the PDF.
Download the data for metros and non-metros.

Week of October 29, 2020

Metros: While national government reduced conditional grants to some metros, they all benefited from the R11 billion increase in equitable share funding in the national adjustments budget approved in August. Consequently, we see an overall increase in spending, but not for informal settlement services. The result is that services to informal settlements are slowing down or, in some cases, even declining. Download the PDF.
Non-Metros: Some improvements have been noted in Witzenberg, but not much has changed in the non-metro municipalities. Access to all three services remains a challenge in many municipalities, with access to water and sanitation particularly concerning. Download the PDF.
Download the data for metros and non-metros.

Week of September 23, 2020

Metros: Up to 45% of informal settlement residents contracted the coronavirus in the first wave. The sharp increase in the number of red traffic lights in Asivikelane 11 makes us worry that the second wave of infections will start and spread in informal settlements. Download the PDF.
Non-Metros: The situation in non-metro municipalities remains stable with reasonable access to water, but with a few persistent crisis points in toilet cleaning and refuse removal. After the situation was initially dire, Witzenberg has provided consistent water and refuse removal. Download the PDF.
Download the data for metros and non-metros.

In This Section

About Asivikelane

The Asivikelane initiative gives voice to informal settlement residents in South Africa’s major cities who are faced with severe basic service shortages during the COVID-19 crisis. Residents answer three questions about their access to water, clean toilets and waste removal – the results will be published bi-weekly and shared with the relevant government actors.

Asivikelane TV: Episode 4

Watch episode 3 to hear from IBP South Africa’s partners on how the City of Cape Town could and should spend more on informal settlement taps and toilets in 2020/2021.

Just Published: 2020/21 Budget Analysis of Local Governments

To help prepare for the tabling of 2021/22 local government budgets, we conducted analyses of the 2020/21 budgets of the Cities of Cape Town, Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and eThekwini Metro Municipality to show how they can provide services to informal settlements without breaking the bank. Read the synthesis paper.

Asivikelane is an initiative of IBP South Africa, Planact, the SASDI Alliance, Afesis-corplan, DAG, SJC and Abahlali baseMjondolo with funding provided by the European Union, Open Society Foundation, Luminate, Raith Foundation and Social Justice Initiative. By responding to three questions weekly about their access to water, clean toilets and waste removal, residents offer us a window into their daily experiences. The detailed results will be published monthly and shared with the relevant municipalities and national government departments to enable swift government response.

Questions? Email [email protected]