Residents have nowhere else to go
FOR many years Lindelwa Bavu has had to relieve herself next to the railway lines.
DICING WITH DEATH: A mother and her little girl try to quickly cross the railway line near Emalahleni.
THIS IS NO WAY TO LIVE: Emalahleni informal settlement resident Lindelwa Bavu chats about her daily struggles.Bavu, 51, is a resident of Emalahleni informal settlement in Klipspruit.
"We have nowhere else to go. Some residents have tried to build toilets but they don't flush, and they are not cleaned. That poses a health hazard," she said.
Bavu shares her two-roomed shack with five other people. A curtain is used to divide the tiny shack.
Her daughter Thembi and her husband sleep on the other side of the curtain. Her two granddaughters sleep on the floor.
Another resident, Nompie Masege, said going back to her parents' house in the township was not an option.
"My brothers live with their wives and children in the house. There are fights every day .... "
She said she moved to Emalahleni "many years ago" to live with her boyfriend from KwaZulu-Natal.
Maneo Pate, 56, from Lesotho, shares a two-roomed shack with her three children aged between eight and 18.
She arrived in South Africa in 2008 hoping for a better life. She said when she arrived in the area, there were already people there.
"This was an open space," she said, pointing to her shack. "I fenced off the place and built the shack. We are struggling here ... I'm not happy, but I have nowhere else to go."
Settlement 'unknown'
THE Gauteng department of local government and housing had no idea that the Emalahleni informal settlement even existed.
MEC Humphrey Mmemezi said he only found out about the settlement near Nancefield station in Soweto after Sowetan asked the department about plans to eradicate the settlement.
However, residents claim people have been living in this area since 1976.
"Emalahleni is a new informal settlement which is not part of the registered and recorded informal settlements within Johannesburg. The plan is to register the settlement in order to link it to other projects or plans of the City of Johannesburg," he said.
Mmemezi also said they had requested a report from the City. This means the families living there will have to wait even longer to be allocated houses, water supply and electricity.
He, however, warned the residents of this settlement.
"The area is dangerous. They (residents) will be knocked down by trains.
"People must not use danger to seek sympathy. The government will establish laws that will force us to arrest them ...
"They are setting a bad example to their children."
Most Popular
- Vuyo's furniture auctioned off 537 days ago
- 'She complained to me about his love affairs' 565 days ago
- Vuyo loves his job - and values his privacy 374 days ago
- Sliced, spliced and enticed 882 days ago
- Big Brother back on TV 3 days ago
- 'Madiba wanted daughters to back off from business' 3 days ago
- At 17 a mom to 3 siblings 3 days ago
- VUYO IN LOVE TRIANGLE mess 1272 days ago
- Soul singer Candice Glover wins American Idol - PHOTOS 3 days ago
- Baxter, Khune not done 3 days ago
Comments
SKIZOBANTWANA
The poor gets more poorer and the richer gets richer.. imbalances in our ECONOMYReport Abuse
WordofGod
Maneo Pate, 56, from Lesotho, shares a two-roomed shack with her three children aged between eight and 18.She arrived in South Africa in 2008 hoping for a better life. She said when she arrived in the area, there were already people there.
"This was an open space," she said, pointing to her shack. "I fenced off the place and built the shack. We are struggling here ... I'm not happy, but I have nowhere else to go."
*************************
but i dont understand! you can still go back home. i think your gov renders s a better service than here
Report Abuse
MsKinkyakaKamaSutra
She said she moved to Emalahleni "many years ago" to live with her boyfriend from KwaZulu-Natal.********************************************************************************************************************
Boyfriend from KZN has a house there and comes to Jozi for another one, fukc we cant keep up with fre this free that.......... the government must start offering free s>ex lessons
This was an open space," she said, pointing to her shack. "I fenced off the place and built the shack. We are struggling here ... I'm not happy, but I have nowhere else to go."
*****************************************************************************************************************
Yuo can take the first bus/taxi to Lesotho...............
Report Abuse
CheeseBoy
Lindelwa Bavu you need to wake the fcuk up. the only person who can take you out of your squalid situation is YOURSELF. the govt is taking care of itself.quote from Steve Biko
Black man. You are on your own.
Report Abuse
MommaC
My mother used to infuriate me with her "Why are you trying to make your problems into my problems?" answer to my complaints. I now understand it.Report Abuse
Shredder
@wordy - "but i dont understand! you can still go back home. i think your gov renders s a better service than here"===============================================================================
Someone told me that one tomato can cost up R5.00 there. Shocking!!! Anyway you are right. There's no better place than home. Plus Lesotho if I am not mistaken they have abundance of water than we have(I stand corrected). They can plant their own vegetables ba kgaogana le mathata. When you have clothes, food, water and shelter, you are blessed. Clothes, water, food and shelter.
""The area is dangerous. They (residents) will be knocked down by trains.
"People must not use danger to seek sympathy. The government will establish laws that will force us to arrest them ...
"They are setting a bad example to their children.""
========================================================================
Arrest them. They are putting the children in danger.
Report Abuse
Dimphozaza
Eish! Mara.. Ingathi I neighbouring countries zethu are adding alot of problems and trouble to what wr already have. If you go to Phillipi ko Cape Town, u'll see gore there are plenty of Lesotho nationals who own RDP houses le Maswati , my question is,, how do they manage to get them? There are millions of South Africans that have been on waiting list for houses for many years. Now Mazimbabwe le Mashangane from Moz are building their own shacks too. Ababantu bayadika, they must go back to their own countries, bayingxaki.Report Abuse
CheeseBoy
15 May 2012Dimphozaza
Lesotho nationals who own RDP houses le Maswati , my question is,, how do they manage to get them?
you have answered yourself right there my sister. those natioanlities you mention have been through serious hardships and understand the real value of survival. this world can be cruel and they know it. unlike our brothers and sisters waiting for handouts from govt these people travelled far and are wiser at surviving.
Report Abuse
Dimphozaza
@ Cheeseboy, they must claim those RDP houses in their home countries and leave them for South Africans because they deserve them, they fought for their rights even if they are lazy.Report Abuse
CheeseBoy
@DimphozazaI'm not making an excuse for them. i am stating a reality which whether we like it or not, our govt will not do anything about foregners from other countries. they simply don't care except to get more votes and steal more money. now given that situation do you just throw you hands in the air and give up or make a plan to get your own money and live a better life?
Report Abuse
Read all 13 comments