Thembi Dlamini is a senior citizen who is supposed to be getting her old age grant but due to a mistake in her identity document, she is not.
She makes a living by doing laundry and cleaning people’s houses.
As if that was not enough, she has to walk around every day to look for firewood since her shack doesn’t have electricity.
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Dlamini is one of many residents of the Eytalini informal settlement opposite Lofentse Girls High School in Orlando East.
The small community say they have been neglected and forgotten by the government while they are being ravaged by poverty, crime, unemployment and lack of service delivery.
“We would appreciate it so much if we can at least get some electricity as a matter of priority,” said Dlamini during a meeting with ActionSA councillors from the City of Johannesburg.
“Having electricity would make our lives a bit bearable because currently, we have to go around looking for firewood like we are in the rural areas.”
ActionSA councillors visited the area on Thursday, September 12 to listen to residents and understand their needs.
Another resident, Sidwell Tshangisa said they have been promised RDP houses and electricity many times but nothing has happened.
“It is very painful for our children to bathe with cold water in the morning when they are going to school,” said Tshangisa.
“We also have a problem of unemployment here as many of us don’t have jobs and we depend on social grants.”
He added they hoped that things would change after the elections but their living conditions continue to deteriorate.
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Other residents complained about being overlooked when there were job opportunities in the area.
They claim that when there are government projects, people from other areas are employed and they don’t even know who to complain to.
ActionSA councillors from various portfolios in the City of Johannesburg visited the residents to hear their grievances.
“It’s been seven years after they were promised that they would be moved from this place and get RDP houses.
“Their living conditions have not improved and we are here today to engage with them and see how we can help,” ActionSA councillor Moipone Rakosa from Development Planning and Petitions said.
She added that they were not there to make promises but they were going to take what the residents told them to the relevant departments.
The area the informal settlement is built on belongs to the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) and it is next to a railway line.
“Prasa must also come on board and make sure that no informal settlement is built on this land after these have moved to a dignified area with RDP houses,” added Rakosa.
While ActionSA goes back to the council to have discussions with relevant departments, residents of Eytalini will continue to wait and hope that their living conditions will get better.
