​​The community of Northern Farm, which is situated just outside Diepsloot, laid bare their service delivery challenges during the recent Chair of Chair’s oversight programme dubbed Bua Le Sechaba.

Bua Le Sechaba was introduced as an integrated oversight programme, which is led by the Chair of Chairs Cllr Salphinah Mulauzi. The programme is informed by cluster observations on unresolved and cross-cutting service delivery issues and referred to the Leader of Executive Business for further intervention.

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Cllr Mulauzi was accompanied by other Chairpersons of Section 79 Committees, including Cllr Matshidiso Mfikoe (EISD Chair), Cllr Simon Motha (Finance Chair), Cllr Tania Oldjohn (Governance Chair) and Cllr Thanduxolo Dyodo (Public Safety Chair). The Speaker of Council Cllr Nonceba Molwele, the MMC for Economic Development Cllr Lawrence Khoza; and the City’s Ombudsman Advocate S’duduzo Gumede were also in attendance.

The oversight visit comes after the City recently tabled its 2021/22 Budget. Cllr Mulauzi said the Bua Le Sechaba programme was responding to service delivery calls. “Our job is to follow the money if it is spent on service delivery. We ask why the budget is not spent. We’re here today because we heard about your concerns.”

The initial occupants of the area were unlawfully relocated from farms across the N14 to the Northern Farm area by the apartheid regime more than 50 years ago. A settlement was created for the community, however, the community lacks a sense of identity within the City’s Spatial Plan as they do not possess any form of residential addresses since the area was never formalised, although the area is a well-developed settlement with serviced stands, community hall, sewage, roads and electricity.

The community wants the City to help them to get title deeds for their houses, to build them recreational facilities and RDP houses.

Manyatsi Dlamini, who has lived in Northern Farm for at least 30 years, appealed to the City to assist the community. “I arrived in the area in 1991 and was a young man back then. Our main challenge is that we can’t have proof of addresses since the City doesn’t have our houses on its database. We see many developments across the road in Diepsloot, but there’s nothing for us here as residents of Northern Farm.”

Suzanne Mafokane requested the City to build the clinic for the community since they depend on the mobile clinic. “Our kids don’t have anywhere else to play since we don’t have a park. We also want the City to provide free Wi-Fi for our kids in order for them to be able to do their school homework,” added Mafokane.

Ward Councillor Sbusiso Mthembu said he was happy to see the City’s leadership responding to the community’s concerns.​