Fiona Ferris of Eersterust writes:
Eersterust is one of the many products of our racial history. It was demarcated for people classified as “coloured” by the apartheid government.
Unfortunately, as the years passed, and some improvements were made, it appears that Eersterust and the symptoms of unequal distribution of resources are still a reality of everyday life of the Eersterust community, a township which falls under the Tshwane metro. I will use two examples to illustrate this point.
When one types Eersterust on online search engine, it is noteworthy that only crime and negativity reaches the news stations.
The achievements and especially the concerns of the community of Eersterust are never prioritised in the media.
Two of the concerns that the Eersterust people have been struggling with for years are water and electricity down-time experienced by the community, often a few times a week.
Just to illustrate, last week , there was no electricity on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday for most of the day. On Wednesday, the community of Eersterust had no access to water without warning, this is nothing new.
Against this background, you might imagine that Eersterust is not a progressive area, with no basic necessities such as electricity and access to water, but this is not the case. Without explanation, the communities of Eersterust often just come home to no water or electricity.
If you put yourself in the position of the average working person, the reality would be not to have access to warm water (when there is water) when the electricity is off, the discomfort of not being able to clean yourself properly or relieve yourself on occasion as well as the inability to cook when there is no water or electricity. We did not even consider the children, the elderly, the differently-abled.
When one considers the security risk, health risk as well as risk of fire when darkness looms over the Eersterust community, the question arises: who is responsible for ensuring this community has access to water and electricity? Why do we have to deal with this problem for years on end? Why are there no longterm solutions to these problems? Why do we, as a community not receive adequate services in accordance with our basic human rights – freedom of security, access to water to name a few?
I hope that when I go home today, I will be able to prepare a cup of tea, make something to eat for the family, maybe even go and relieve myself because I am unsure of how long I will have access to this treatment. More importantly, I have to charge my phone, set my alarm, so that I can wake up and make a contribution to our society tomorrow.
It is my heartfelt wish that the new Eersterust radio station (and other community forums) address these issues – issues which concern the community – and call for those responsible to answer. Our people must stand together for the good of all.
We would also like to “be part of building one South Africa for all”, Mr Maimane and Mr Lawrence.
