Election campaigns unwelcome at dilapidated Madala hostel
ALEXANDRA – Decades of broken promises a blockage to electioneering at Madala hostel.
Political parties with no tangible solution for the Madala hostel are unwelcome to campaign at the crumbling structure.
This was said by irate hostel indunas Mthobisi Sokhela and Sipho Mwelase who stated that they have had enough of the lies from authorities. “We are no longer keen to contain the restless 2000 strong residents who feel they have been tossed around as a political football and fodder for many years by politicians during election time and when in power,” Sokhela said.
He scoffed as a rumour, R20 million stated in Alex News’ Assessment report awaited before work on Madala hostel of November 2018 to be allocated by the Joburg City Council this financial year to revamp the place, Helen Joseph women’s hostel and another one in Soweto. “We have been neglected enough and we ask why us?
“The death of Nelson Mandela worsened our situation with successive administrations of the council competing through countless but broken promises during the election era and in-between, to do the best they can to hoodwink us.”
He said that only those with written evidence of resources for the hostel are welcome if they commit to starting anew the hostel whose conditions have compounded with every broken promise making living conditions untenable.
“Maybe they want us dead when the structure crumbles,” he said wondering how people in high authority could visit again and again and still claim ignorance of the abominable conditions of the residents which have been publicised for many years. He added, “Those who come claiming to be new in their position should learn from the over 20 years of records and unfulfilled promises left behind by their predecessors.”
Mwelase said it should be common sense that a structure built in the 70s as single rooms for thousands who come and go, requires massive injection or should have been rebuilt by now if it was poorly maintained. “Together with Helen Joseph Hostel, Madala was ignored when other hostels were redeveloped and new ones constructed as family dwellings. “The neglect has forced residents to convert the single rooms into family dwellings denying themselves privacy and children space to study,'” Mwelase said.
“A caring government committed to Ubuntu can’t be proud to see its citizens surrounded daily by sewage in the courtyard, missing lids on stormwater drains posing a danger, broken windows, doors, unrepaired roof damaged by a 2013 fire and more damage caused by wind in December.”
He added that slabs on some floors are cracked and water from broken pipes leak and damage property of those below, corridors are dark from the erratic power supply and broken connections.
“The hostel is a cash cow for well-connected contractors who benefit through tenders from undisclosed millions of rands allocated for maintenance work which is not monitored, only for the damages to recur weeks later.”
The indunas said they will no longer call meetings for officials with residents to avoid being blamed for also perpetuating the lies. They are worried about likely demonstrations with damaging consequences to public infrastructure.
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