The government does not care to do the work for which they were voted into power.
This is what Dr Joseph Katwala Meddy, the ACDP West Rand Regional Chairperson believes after recently paying a visit to the Bagali Village informal settlement next to the R24 in Tarlton.
He explained that he received complaints from residents living there and then pointed out the tall grass at the entrance, which he believed was to be kept short by the Mogale City Local Municipality.
“It is evident that this grass hasn’t been cut for a very long time,” he said while also looking at a pile of rubbish dumped on the roadside.
His concerns, however, are about the safety of the almost 3 000 residents who need to walk past the grass on a daily basis.
“This is the perfect place for criminals to hide and pounce on their victims. Women especially are the most vulnerable as they can be raped in the field or even worse, murdered.”
The news spoke to a few residents who agreed that the tall grass was a serious threat.
Lebogang Moreki said that several women had been raped in the field and that she feared for her life when walking home after work.
“I try not to walk here at night as I am scared of what might be hiding next to the bushes.”
Fano Hlongwana (34) who has been living in the informal settlement for about three years said that the people living there felt unsafe.
“Our people want to be safe, but it is difficult when no safety measurements are in place.”
He referred to the dark entrances at night, where he believed a street light should be put up.
One other issue Meddy had was the fact that there were no proper recreational facilities for the children.
“They play soccer and other sport on dirt, and that is something we should not be seeing here. The government always places emphasis on the health and wellbeing of our children, yet they cannot provide them with proper facilities.”
Sakeng Sebetoasle (28) said that for the past 10 years they had been neglected as they still did not have running water, electricity and proper toilet facilities.
“We were told that these conditions would be temporary, but so far nothing much has changed.”
