Ezibeleni residents are concerned about service delivery issues and say they are still expected to vote in the upcoming elections in a week’s time.
They expressed how discouraging it was to vote and yet see no change in the community. There was no safety, they were robbed in broad daylight and yet there was a police station. The only assistance they get is from the appointed patrollers who work at night to ensure that everyone is at home by curfew.
Lorenzo Moteno, a resident of Unathi Mkefa, said: “There is always load shedding which makes it difficult for us to buy fresh vegetables and meat to store in the refrigerator. Our appliances were sparked from the power outage. We now have to buy paraffin which is expensive, we do not work. When there are job opportunities, those in power think of their families and friends first and leave us hanging as the people of the community.
“Sometimes load shedding affects the whole of Ezibeleni but when electricity comes back, it only lights up certain places of the area and the street lights are not working. This is one of the reasons people are robbed. We hardly have water. Garbage is not collected, so now we burn it so that it does not pile up. We are sick and tired of the ANC robbing us and our rights,’’ Moteno said.
Another Unathi Mkefa resident, Thembelihle Mkhwambi said: “We would be called to community halls for job opportunities by the Ikora forum and some people got employed by the Go-slow company, but some of us are still waiting to get jobs. Residents who are employed were complaining about how unfairly treated they are at work and the forum suggested a strike. When the residents lost their jobs they did not want to be held accountable, instead they sit at home with no jobs. Food parcels would be distributed at 5am to certain households of people they know.’’
Gcobani Mbukushe of Bhekela location said they were promised houses, but they are still staying in shacks. “We were promised better housing in 2013 and some houses were built and finished. Some were destroyed and left in that state. We do not even have toilets in our homes, we go to the dongas because there is no water.”
Bongani Gawula, a resident of an informal settlement said it was difficult to just watch TV or charge a cellphone, with all power outages. Nobuntu Kali, of Zone 3, lamented: ”My water pipes have burst and nothing has been done, instead I have to put in chemicals to tone down the smell. I have tried plumbers and still none of that has brought relief. Instead thy burst repeatedly. ”My children react so badly to it, they now have skin allergies and I suspect the sewage might be the cause. The power station next to my house is a problem, it causes power outages every day and I am always left with no electricity.”
By: MBALENTLE STOFU
