Makana is "not in a position" to provide basic services to about 3000 struggling residents of Kwa-Nonzwakazi informal settlement outside Alicedale.
Makana is "not in a position" to provide basic services to about 3000 struggling residents of Kwa-Nonzwakazi informal settlement outside Alicedale.
The community is faced with issues of unemployment and a lack of proper housing, electricity and toilets.
However, Makana spokesperson Thandy Matebese says that the municipality cannot provide services in any area that has not been approved as a formal settlement.
“The municipality is not in a position to provide services there because the residents build shacks anywhere and it becomes a risk from the municipality to invest in such a place,” says Matebese.
Gcobisa Tinise (43) who was born and bred in Alicedale, has never been employed. She lives in a rusted corrugated iron shack with her family and survives off relatives’ pension money, which is insufficient to provide for all their needs.
After Tinise’s shack burnt down in 2004, she relocated and has not received any support from the Makana Municipality.
“I never even got food parcels from the municipality and the mayor comes and promises a lot of things but does nothing for us,” says an angry Tinise.
Another resident says, “The municipality gave us only two of those mobile toilets and they were obviously not enough for this large community but they came back and took them away. Now we have to go to the nearby bushes if we can or even around the area”.
Earlier this year, Eskom built a new electricity plant nearby, but according to the residents none of them have been employed there.
“We are young and have the skills but when we are looking for jobs we are denied,” said Mnana.
Eskom has started connecting electricity to the informal dwellings.
Matabese says the municipality has no knowledge of the connection, since they had not agreed to it.
