Nokubonga Ndlovu|Published
Private land ownership and the rapid expansion of Jim se Bos informal settlement are complicating efforts to improve sanitation, electricity, waste management and road infrastructure, according to Ward 43 councillor Alderman Elton Jansen.
Jansen said the City of Cape Town continued to provide basic services, but legal and operational constraints linked to the privately owned land limited further infrastructure investment. He also pointed to illegal land sales as a driver of the settlement’s growth and worsening waste management problems.
Land ownership and public engagement
Addressing concerns about public meetings and communication, Jansen explained that holding formal open ward meetings inside an informal settlement on private land presented significant logistical challenges.
However, he said direct communication channels remained open through local leadership and community partners.
“I have an open and direct link with residents and the leadership committee living in the settlement,” Jansen stated, adding that residents frequently contacted him directly to report municipal faults, such as electricity outages, or request help with job-seeker forms and proof-of-address documentation.
Jansen also highlighted ongoing collaboration with City Health and local non-profit organisations, including Love in Action, run by local resident Pastor Raymond Katts, to provide health screenings and community outreach.
Electricity and fire hazard risks
The absence of formal electricity connections remains a major fire hazard, with illegal connections posing risks in Jim se Bos.
Jansen said early electrification efforts had been made possible through previous interventions when the landowner granted permission. However, the settlement’s continued expansion had stalled further development.
“The growth has halted further permissions subject to engagement with Human Settlements and the property owner,” Jansen explained.
He confirmed that formal requests had been submitted to the office of the Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements to initiate discussions with the landowner and explore further service delivery options, including safe solar or formal grid solutions.
Sanitation and infrastructure upgrades
Responding to questions about budget allocations to replace chemical latrines and bucket systems with flush toilets, Jansen said capital planning for informal settlement services fell under the City’s Informal Settlements Basic Services department, which regularly surveys settlements across the metro.
“Because Jim se Bos is on private property and growing, rolling out adequate services becomes challenging,” he said, reiterating that he consistently advocated for improved living conditions in informal settlements.
Jansen said a multi-stakeholder platform had been established to address complaints about poorly maintained chemical toilets.
The platform allows community leaders and relevant City departments to raise service delivery faults directly with contractors and City project managers.
Wastewater blamed for road damage
The settlement’s continued growth has also affected surrounding infrastructure. Water discharged from standpipes inside Jim se Bos has severely damaged the adjacent road surface, resulting in persistent potholes.
The City’s Informal Settlement Basic Services and Urban Mobility departments are working together on an engineering solution to divert wastewater away from road surfaces. The project remains in the planning phase.
Jansen said resolving these issues would benefit both settlement residents and neighbouring communities by creating a safer and cleaner shared environment.
Rapid growth and illegal dumping
Illegal dumping and the accumulation of solid waste remain major points of friction between settlement residents and neighbouring ratepayers.
Jansen attributed the worsening waste management problems to rapid population growth driven by unlawful land sales.
“Allegations of land being sold illegally, allegedly with the knowledge of the owner, is the reason for this rapid growth. This must stop,” Jansen warned.
Although Solid Waste teams regularly clear illegal dumping sites, waste continues to accumulate quickly.
Jansen confirmed that he had recently visited Jim se Bos with concerned neighbouring ratepayers and formally petitioned the City for additional refuse containers and more Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) workers to assist with ongoing clean-ups.