The Democratic Alliance (DA) has launched a community petition calling for urgent and meaningful service delivery interventions for the long-neglected Jenn-Haven community near Postmasburg.
Since their relocation from Khosis in 1992 to make way for the expansion of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) training area at Lohatla, residents have endured decades of inadequate access to basic municipal services and essential infrastructure.
The situation is particularly dire in the growing informal settlement. Nearly two decades later, the settlement still has no proper sanitation facilities or electricity. Residents are forced to relieve themselves in the veld and rely on gas burners for cooking. Water access remains erratic, dependent on the filling of JoJo tanks, while concerns around housing allocation and the lack of serviced site development persist.
The broader Jenn-Haven community continues to face unreliable water supply, inadequate sanitation infrastructure, deteriorating roads, and no refuse removal. Limited youth and community facilities further compound the challenges, especially as the area is situated approximately 30 kilometres outside of Postmasburg.
The DA has repeatedly raised these concerns in council without meaningful response. We are therefore taking this matter directly to the community through a petition demanding that Jenn-Haven residents are no longer excluded from development planning and resource allocation by the Tsantsabane Local Municipality and the Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA).
We are specifically calling for:
• A comprehensive service delivery intervention plan for Jenn-Haven, with clear implementation timelines, to be presented to the community within 14 days of submitting the petition; and
• Immediate temporary relief measures for water and sanitation in the informal settlement.
No community should be sidelined in municipal planning processes. Jenn-Haven deserves dignity, accountability, and action as opposed to continued neglect.