Orange Farm, Gauteng
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Orange Farm is a township located approximately 45 km from Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is the largest informal settlement in South Africa, with most estimates giving a population of 350,000 people. Additionally, it is one of the youngest, with the original inhabitants; laid off farm workers, taking up residency in 1988. Support for the population came slowly, but has now begun in earnest. The settlement now includes a modern library, some paved roads, permanent housing for some, electricity in places, a clinic, an information center with internet access, and a multi-purpose community center. However these improvements come with financial costs, which most of the citizens living in Orange Farm cannot afford. The ongoing privatisation which Orange Farm has been subjected to has also drawn much criticism from social justice and human rights groups. Most notably the installment of pre-paid water meters has been criticised for denying access to clean drinking water for much of the population of Orange Farm. The recently founded Orange Farm Water Crisis Committee, an off-shoot of the South African Anti-Privatisation Forum (AFP) has been very vocal and active against the privatisation of water.
