Samantha van Nispen

Humanitarian. Passionate about people, animals, the environment..anything really. Mom to a budding activist and wife to my best friend #wannabefoodie

[Samantha van Nispen @MamfaJane]

I reported the condition of Soetdoring Street and Ilala Palm Randpark Ridge to JRA in Jan 2024. The road surface is now breaking up and turning into gravel.

Ref numbers: 5421207 & 5421250. @CityofJoburgZA @MyJRA @DavidWard126 @DadaMorero

[Samantha van Nispen @MamfaJane]

Hi @CityPowerJhb power is out in #RandparkRidge, please assist - we have Christmas dinners to cook tomorrow. Ref:
CPWEB4849847

[Samantha van Nispen @MamfaJane]

Hi @JHBWater you had a team out today to fix this, but it started pouring out again after the the rains. Please come and sort this problem out once and for all.
Ref: JWCC-40106130 @CityofJoburgZA @HermanMashaba

[Samantha van Nispen @MamfaJane]

Hi @JHBWater you know that sewer blockage you fixed last week? You didn’t you made it worse. This is my house, I have 4 neighbours whose entire houses are flooded. You need to fix this before it rains again this afternoon. Ref: JWCC-40106130 @CityofJoburgZA @HermanMashaba

[Samantha van Nispen @MamfaJane]

Me again - a response would be nice @JHBWater

[Samantha van Nispen @MamfaJane]

Hi @JHBWater you know that sewer blockage you fixed last week? You didn’t you made it worse. This is my house, I have 4 neighbours whose entire houses are flooded. You need to fix this before it rains again this afternoon. Ref: JWCC-40106130 @CityofJoburgZA @HermanMashaba

[Samantha van Nispen @MamfaJane]

Hi @JHBWater you know that sewer blockage you fixed last week? You didn’t you made it worse. This is my house, I have 4 neighbours whose entire houses are flooded. You need to fix this before it rains again this afternoon. Ref: JWCC-40106130 @CityofJoburgZA @HermanMashaba

[Samantha van Nispen @MamfaJane]

This sewer has been an issue for more than a week, it is a major health risk and is making these peoples lives miserable. What do we have to do to get this fixed? @JHBWater @DadaMorero @CityofJoburgZA

[Claudine Fourie @ClaudineF78785]

@JHBWater this is RIDICULOUS!! How can anyone life like this!?
JHB0322196

[Samantha van Nispen @MamfaJane]

Hey @JHBWater how would you like to wake up with used condoms & faeces floating around your home? Sewer leak reported since Tues. Knee deep sewage in the garden. Now inside the house. Two neighbours affected too. Serious health risk. Massive damage. @CityofJoburgZA pls help

[Samantha van Nispen @MamfaJane]

Hi @JHBWater please urgently assist, this is not fixed yet, it is causing havoc down most of our street.

[Samantha van Nispen @MamfaJane]

@JHBWater Me again, your team came out on Wednesday but today it is even worse, please urgently assist, it is beginning to damage property. Ref: JWAPP-40075450

[Samantha van Nispen @MamfaJane]

@JHBWater Me again, your team came out on Wednesday but today it is even worse, please urgently assist, it is beginning to damage property. Ref: JWAPP-40075450

[Samantha van Nispen @MamfaJane]

Hi @JHBWater this is a residents back garden, flooded with sewage, please could you urgently attend to this? A call was logged yesterday already. Ref: JWAPP-40075001. Location - Kremetart Street, Randpark Ridge

[OUTA @OUTASA]

We were honoured to be able to host this symposium with our partners @KAS_SouthAfrica. The energy in the room was electric, and the discussions were just as powerful. Thank you to all who contributed to the discussion both in person and online.

[Samantha van Nispen @MamfaJane]

@CityofJoburgZA @DadaMorero I nominate @wayneduv

[OUTA @OUTASA]

Say what now? @NERSA_ZA - The same regulator that rubber-stamped every @Eskom_SA hike is suddenly shocked by high electricity prices. Make it make sense…
https://t.co/I6K424Fgua

[Samantha van Nispen @MamfaJane]

Hi @JHBWater I have been 'next in line' on your helpdesk for the past 18mins? Is anyone actually working?

[Samantha van Nispen @MamfaJane]

@CityofJoburgZA This is Kremetart Street, Randpark Ridge – Region C. Reported four months ago on 9 Mar (ref: 5520364). This pic is from then, the road is much worse now. I’ve followed up every month. Still no action. The regional depot has stopped replying to my emails. How much longer?

[Mbali Ntuli @mbalimcdust]

One of the great things about the era we are in for our democracy now is that everything is up for scrutiny and as a nation we are learning more about our parliamentary processes and laws.

This usually happens when something big triggers discussion but that knowledge stays with us and we bank it and will know it for the next time a similar event happens.

People learnt how cabinet reshuffles happen because we went through many of them.

People also learnt about ministerial benefits when some chose to resign after reshuffles rather than become ordinary MPs

People learnt about the ministerial handbook and a lot else after the fire pool saga

The July riots taught many of us far more about how our intelligence operates procedurally and operationally than before

A lot more people have learnt about our defense and security because of the SANDF issues that have come to light recently

Many people read our foreign exchange policy and laws because of Phalaphala

There’s many more examples. South Africans clearly screams want to know what is happening and how in an objective, non partisan way. It is overwhelming though and there is a lot of legislation. My friend @LindiMazibuko and @futurelectorg developed a great app on breaking some of this down and we utilise it on the ground as one of their partners. You can download it and start familiarising yourself on some of these processes there.

1) SA should have been more proactive making Civics a part of our curriculum so that by the time we came to voting age we knew more than just the political parties and what our parents discussed around the dinner table but also how the various systems worked and how at least the crucial annual bills were formulated and passed. For example the budget process.

2) The budget process takes about 15 months to put together before the minister even tables it.

3) Similarly if we taught people about their own municipal budget process I am sure more people would give input into what they want to see in their own wards and towns.

4) Once everybody understands all the processes taken to pass a budget I am sure they would have some idea on whether it was overly complicated or not.

5) Our budget requires various implementation tools and money bills to be passed alongside it to give it affect. Some of these are important to maintain checks and balances and to allow our public representatives who represent us to have a say at every step of the way (hopefully with us also participating to tell them what we want and don’t want in it)

It makes it longer and complicated in some ways but it also safeguards us in others.

I certainly think explaining it all should be a priority of every party but they also have their own pressures so it’s largely left to the media and civil society to break it down.

6) If you want to see where bills are in the parliamentary process or what your MPs are doing in their portfolios or debates or how committed have voted etc you should follow @PMG_SA and check out the site by @OUTASA and @OpenUp who have created Parlimeter which makes this info more accessible to citizens.

7) After our pilot as @gwc_za on Civics in schools hopefully the public will join us in pushing for legislation to have this become a staple in our education system.

[Rudie Heyneke @rudieheyneke]

#StateCaptureInquiry Former Denel CEO, Saloojee testified today how Dan Mantsha as Denel Chair took him to Saxonwold to meet the Guptas and Salim Essa. Mantsha was instrumental in the Denel capture. @OUTASA laid criminal charges in Aug 2017 against Mantsha. Time for action!!

[OUTA @OUTASA]

READ: University of Johannesburg research confirms what #OUTA’s WaterCAN has warned about since 2023: the Klip River pollution crisis is out of control. In 2023, @WaterCANsa filed criminal charges against the @CityofJoburgZA , former acting municipal manager #BryneMaduka, and (then) municipal manager #FloydBrink for failing to address sewage pollution. CoJ also ignored a directive from the @DWS_RSA to fix the issue. Yet, two years later, no one has been held accountable. How long must communities suffer before action is taken? @go2uj #WaterCrisis #AccountabilityNow

[Samantha van Nispen @MamfaJane]

@CityPowerJhb How do we click on the link?

[Samantha van Nispen @MamfaJane]

Hey @CityPowerJhb Try working, feeding your family, or getting your kids through school when you haven’t had power for days. The fridge is off, food’s spoiling, batteries are dead, and we’re running out of options. This isn’t just a power outage. It’s neglect.