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The life of a KwaMai-Mai resident

"We must always be prepared in case of a fire, so we sleep with buckets of water next to us in case a shack catches fire."

Life in the KwaMai-Mai Informal Settlement can be described as a violation of human rights.

The living conditions are degrading to any human being.

As I walk through the small gate that goes into the settlement, which falls under the Jeppe SAPS precinct, I was “welcomed” by the dirty water and a foul smell.

Health hazards are everywhere. My eye caught a group of children sitting around a fire next to a pile of garbage.

This is the life of the people living in this settlement.

KwaMai-Mai is a settlement with an estimated 400 shacks. It has a population of about 2 000 people.

The settlement has been in existence for more than 10 years. There living conditions within the informal settlement are alarming.

The area is infested with mosquitoes and rats, and there is no proper sanitation. There is a single water tap supplying people with water for cooking, washing and bathing.

A number of people living there are middle-aged, who came to the city to seek work but couldn’t find proper accommodation.

There are families raising children in these conditions.

I met a mother of two children, Ms Senzesihle Dlamini, who has been living in KwaMai-Mai since 2012. She is currently not working as she is on maternity leave.

“I fear for my children. I have to constantly watch them due to the number of dangers around us. Fires can break out easily and I am always on the lookout for my children’s safety,” she said.

“We must always be prepared in case of a fire, so we sleep with buckets of water next to us in case a shack catches fire. When this happens, all of us go to try and help put out the fire.

“It is difficult living here but we have nowhere else to go,” said Senzesihle.

Sbonele Nene shared Senzesihle’s concerns about the living conditions in KwaMai-Mai.

“There is no electricity. It is very dark at night. The water situation causes a health hazard for the people but they have no choice but to live like this because they have nowhere else to go,” said Sbonele.

“I’m living here with my cousin and this shack is small. We must share because we have no place to stay and at least we have a roof over our heads. Even though this place gets cold, it is home,” said Sbonelo.

Clr Bongani Nkwanyana said he has been in talks with the City of Joburg (CoJ) to address the concerns raised by residents.

“One of the major problems is the blocked storm water drains that have been the cause of the mini dam that has developed in the settlement,” said Clr Nkwanyana.

“A child can easily drown here. I’ve sent e-mails to Joburg Water to come and assist but to no avail,” said Clr Nkwanyana.

Another resident, Sipho Madonsela, said he applied for an RDP house in 1992 and received a title deed but no house.

“Instead of a house, I only received a piece of paper. I cannot afford rent as I am paying for my daughter’s university fees – we had no choice but to move to KwaMai-Mai,” said Sipho.

Like so many other residents of KwaMai-Mai, he too came to Johannesburg to seek employment and instead deals daily with the challenges of living in this informal settlement.

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