Tshepisong
Informal Settlement and Township in Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tshepisong is both an informal settlement and township, located in Region D of the Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality[2] in Gauteng, South Africa and was established in 1998.[3] To the south, the housing overlooks the old Durban Roodepoort Deep Mine[4] and to the immediate west is the boundary with the Mogale City Local Municipality while to the east is Soweto.
Tshepisong | |
|---|---|
  Tshepisong  Tshepisong | |
| Coordinates: 26.19011°S 27.80339°E | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Gauteng |
| Municipality | City of Johannesburg |
| Established | 1998 |
| Government | |
| • Councillor | Sylvia Monakale (ANC) |
| Area | |
• Total | 6.56 km2 (2.53 sq mi) |
| Population (2011)[1] | |
• Total | 53,260 |
| • Density | 8,120/km2 (21,000/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
| Postal code (street) | 1754 |
Tshepisong is approximately 10 km west of Roodepoort and approximately 30 km from Johannesburg.[5][6]
The settlement's 6.56 square km area[7] has a total of 6,142 individual property stands.[8] Residents in this densely populated, low cost and informal development[9] are served by a public library[10] a multipurpose centre,[11] three well subscribed primary schools (Harry Gwala, Onkgopotse Tiro and Tshepisong),[12] two high schools (Raymond Mhlaba[13] and Wiseman Cele). There is no local police station and law and order is currently served by the Kagiso police station which falls under the Mogale City Local Municipality,[14] about 5 km from the settlement.[15]
According to a parliamentary question posed to the then minister of police (Bheki Cele) in 2019, plans have been put in place to construct a police station in Tshepisong in the 2028/2029 financial year.[16]
Infrastructure and public services delivery
Tshepisong has also been described as a "sprawling shack settlement"[3] and this complex township[17] has witnessed the damaging effects on the social fabric[18] and service delivery tensions[19] regularly affect the residents wellbeing. Crimes are reported to a local resident who runs Tshepisong West Green Door,[20] a shelter for victims of Gender-Based and also serves as a "police station" for locals to report crime to.[21]
The city leaders have issued tenders to upgrade gravel roads.[22] handed over title deeds to residents in 2007[23] and in 2023,[24] and committed themselves to dignified housing.[11] In 2016 / 2017, the R3.9-billion of the cities budget was used for the electrification of informal settlements,[25] which Sicelo Xulu (MD for City Power) claimed would assist with load-shedding prevention.[25] City Power would later implement load reduction in those areas with high levels of electricity consumption and low payments.[26] In 2023, 5,505 stands were reported as registered at the Deeds Office.[8]
Land claims
The Cremona Cheese Factory had been in Tshepisong since the 1970s.[27] In 2016, the property owner proposed a mixed business development for middle income groups.[28] Ownership of vacant land around this factory has been disputed and measures have been taken to prevent this property from being occupied.[29]