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THEY DON'T CARE: Committee member Thembalakhe Jaca.

WE NEED WATER: Two residents of Emalahleni informal settlement near Nancefield station in Soweto wait for a train to pass so that they can cross the railway lines to fetch water.

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The settlement, near the Nancefield train station, was established in 1976 and is mushrooming.

Back then, no one could see the shacks when travelling along the Klipspruit Valley Road, but now they are visible.

It is estimated that about 2000 people live in the area.

Resident and area committee member Thembalakhe Jaca said some of the first people to arrive in the area have since died while many others had moved elsewhere.

But, Jaca said, the situation was getting worse as more people moved into the area to build shacks.

"We do not have flushing toilets and electricity. There are only three taps for the whole area, but only one works properly," said Jaca.

"We have been voting, but that has not brought us any change. We still live in a dire situation. It seems as though government does not care about us.

"Our councillor (Zodwa Nxumalo) came to the area just before the last local government elections.

"She said she wanted to listen to our needs and promised to come back to us. We tabled our needs, but she has not returned. We put our trust in her," he said.

Jaca said the residents needed houses.

"Our shacks get flooded when it rains. The authorities have been saying we cannot live in this area because it is not safe, but they are not clear as to where we should go from here," Jaca said.

He added that he was more concerned about the future of the youth in the area.

"They do not get early childhood education because there are no daycare centres here.

"The nearest schools are in Pimville or Orlando East and that is a long walk for our children," he lamented.

When Sowetan arrived in the area, the team found young and old women with buckets standing in a queue to draw water.

Children were everywhere.

Some played under a disused table and there was rubbish all around. There was a smell of urine and the area had an unbearable stench.

"We are afraid there might be snakes here. We live next to reeds. We do see a snake every now and then," said resident Lindelwa Bavu, 51.

Many residents sit idle while others do their laundry. Some cut each others' hair while others gamble.

"The unemployment rate in the area is at 95%. People here depend on the child grant," Jaca said.

He said they knew that the area was not safe, especially for children.

"We are here not by choice, but because we do not have anywhere else to go.

"The authorities have been making promises, but they never deliver.

"We will believe (them) when we see development happening," Jaca said.

At the far end of the shacks, residents have built pit toilets for themselves.

"The holes are deep and a child could easily fall in there and drown or get badly injured. We need urgent help," Jaca said.

Comments

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Sat May 25 08:19:51 SAST 2013 ::

May 15, 2012

tpaz

and who said it will?
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May 15, 2012

ntebo

stop voting for ANC then, vote for COPE
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May 15, 2012

SKIZOBANTWANA

JEEEER our Government is fl!ppin rid!culous..
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May 15, 2012

GoodiesPheladi

Ba swinega. Next time they will think when they vote. You can't just vote for a political party as if you are voting for a soccer club. Dulang gona mo mekhukhung le nweng meetse a di t$hila gore le kgone go bulega hlogo.
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May 15, 2012

rasefatee

Thembalakhe Jaca you are the people who keep on voting for the anc so what carry your own cross sick and tired of listening to people like you come elections you vote for the same empty promises and keep on crying for 18 years a wise man thinks twice baba
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May 15, 2012

CheeseBoy

We tabled our needs, but she has not returned. We put our trust in her


and you get what you deserve. how many times 18 years after 1994 will you keep voting the same useless leaders into power huh? WAKE UP maaaan.
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May 15, 2012

WordofGod

It seems as though government does not care about us
*************************************
God cares. seek Him with all your heart, mind and soul and He will take you out of your situation. Jeremiah 29:12-14
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May 15, 2012

CheeseBoy

i hope the ANC teaches you a lesson and makes you stay in crap for 17 more years as long as you keep voting for me. SOWETAN we tired of stories form stupid people who vote with their bums and not their heads!!
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May 15, 2012

CheeseBoy

as you keep voting for me... meant as long as you vote for THEM.. typo
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May 15, 2012

milagro

weather we stop voting for anc and we vote for hu ever gwa swana,one thing i knw is that goverment do not care especialy if the councilr is not from that place you must know that we will suffer for ever couz if he/she was from the they wer gonna make sure dat everything goes well for their rural.this ppl do not care about us but them getting rich an nothing else we just have to start coming up with a plan an do things n our own take care of each other as the goverment dont.belive me crime wil never stop n his country if such imporend cases are not gven much attention.
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