Irate residents of the Helen Joseph Women’s Hostel warned council not to be surprised by the outcome of the upcoming polls, as it will be an expression of their displeasure with their abhorrent living conditions.
This was said at their meeting at the hostel with several council MMCs and council officials on a three-day visit to the township to observe developments, listen to concerns and offer remedial plans. Council’s charm offensive by its admission to the delay in solving the hostel’s appalling conditions, and an impassioned plea for council’s urgent intervention by a hapless councillor may have temporarily cooled down the residents’ anger and endeared the councillor to the residents.
The hostel is home to 4 000 women whose deteriorating living conditions have been reported several times in this paper. The residents said their abhorrent conditions have existed for years, despite the injection of millions of rands annually for maintenance, repairs and upgrades. They complained that their plight was turned into a political playground which they couldn’t stomach anymore, adding that some of the parties had even taken the issue to the South African Human Rights Commission but there still was no improvement.
They said they had expected Mayor Parks Tau, as promised, so that they could air their grievances directly to him, as most of the MMCs and officials present had made and broken many past promises to improve their conditions. These were identified as consistent sewage and sludge in the courtyard, corridors and entrances emitting an incessant and pungent smell, making it difficult to access their rooms, cook in kitchens and eat meals, dysfunctional toilets, broken windows and doors, erratic electricity and water supply, all combining to cause ill health including TB, coughing and sinusitis.
They pointed to a broken roof that hasn’t been fixed for years and concern over numerous contractors passing on unfinished work, leaving them in faeces when accessing their overcrowded rooms.
Resident Lulama Mfobo said they were angry and traumatised by government’s hatred of them. “It’s all a political game for the entourage to descend on us close to the elections with a promise that has been broken many times before. The residents will, at the polls, show their vengeance with government for its hatred, neglect and denial of their basic services,” Mfobo said.
Egnes Matsimula said the housing department officials they put in power have failed them for years, their superiors failed to supervise and scrutinise reports. “The officials only work in preparation of visits by their superiors,” she said, adding that they sympathised with their councillor who had no control but could only submit residents’ concerns to officials who let her down. The councillor, Ambie Maseko, and also a resident of the hostel, pleaded with council to improve the hostel’s conditions.
The MMC for Housing, Dan Bovu promised to act urgently with plans for the hostel’s improvement to be presented soon in the presence of the mayor.
