“Where must we go?” are the words of one of the people living under the Delmas Bridge in Mackay Street as complaints about them continue to roll in.
Over the years, those living under the Delmas Bridge have caused controversy in the community of Randfontein. The Herald spoke to some of these people on Wednesday, 30 August to understand their situation, and took a hard look at the circumstances they live in.
The Herald found only about six people there, most of them standing on the street corner, hoping someone would stop and offer them a job, even if it was just for a day. One resident brought them recyclable bottles on his trailer. The first squatter told the Herald he has been living there for about 10 years. Two others joined in and said that among the about 15 people who live there are a woman and an eight-year-old child.
One of them also said despite it not being safe for them to live there, they have no choice.
Related article: Life under a bridge
They all mentioned that they get up early in the morning and start looking for piece jobs. It was a cold winter for them, and they said that going without any food for a week is the worst.
The ages of the squatters, excluding the child, range from 26 to 49. They showed the Herald around, pointing out their ‘kitchen’ where they sometimes cook pap and bones – their luxury meal.
When asked if the community gives them trouble, they said it is only the municipality and Traffic Department that bother them. They also said at times their belongings get burnt. They have one question: “Where must we go? The community wants us to leave here but if we leave here, we are destitute.”
The only dwelling that is built there is the shack in which the mom and daughter live, in it, we found a toy lying on a table.
In an article the Herald published in February 2016 under the headline Life under a bridge, it was allegedly said at a development planning meeting that the squatters under the Delmas Bridge have been an issue for years. If they are chased away, they return within a month. The dwellers were evicted in December 2015, Vusi Hadebe from the Randfontein Local Municipality said at the time.
One of the concerned residents, Toetie Kotze, said, “I have serious concerns. It seems as if the municipality is turning a blind eye on this informal settlement, which is attracting more dwellers as time goes by. As they live now, they’re not only a health risk to the users of the land, but also to other people in the area.
Kotze went on, saying, “Council seems to condone the settlement of people on open pieces of land but it is expected of that same council to provide water and sanitation to these people in order to give them access to their basic human rights.
They do not have toilets or washing facilities. A further concern is the open fires. The dwellings are mostly built with dry grass and wood. Surely this is a fire hazard?”
She continued, “Heaps of refuse are also starting to accumulate at the informal settlement. Besides the fact that the area looks like a dumping site, the local municipality is expected to at least render a refuse removal service to the land-grabbers in order to maintain a humane living environment. None of these services are currently being rendered to the dwellers – they are being ignored. Surely pretending they don’t exist does not exempt the authorities from their responsibilities?
“All the role-players need to be involved in a discussion of the future of these informal settlers. It will be interesting to hear the views of the councillor responsible for this ward, the MEC for Housing, the mayor, the chairperson of the Show Committee, the people responsible for health and safety of our town, and possibly also the land-owner.”
The bottom line, Kotze said, is that it’s a disgrace to allow people to live like animals and turn a blind eye to their needs and living conditions.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at randfonteinherald@caxton.co.za (please remember to include your contact details in the email) or phone us on 011 693 3671.
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