By Luvuyo Mjekula
The community hall in Extension 9 was packed on Tuesday, 5 December, as government officials, anti-GBV activists, and ordinary residents thrashed out issues adversely affecting the community.
Residents from Nkanini, a newly formed informal settlement, were particularly invited to the event but were joined by others from areas in the broader Joza Township, which includes Thatha, Phumlani, Transit Camp, extensions 4, 5, 9 and 10.
Social workers, police officers, nurses and other health officials, correctional services officials, municipal employees and officials from departments including community safety and sport, arts and culture heard first-hand the challenges many communities face on a daily basis. These included inadequate healthcare services and facilities, rampant crime and a general lack of service delivery.
On health, one of the shocking revelations at the event was that the whole Joza community, with the exception of extensions 6 and 7, is serviced by a single healthcare facility, the Joza Clinic. This is clearly a major concern for the residents, as many of them complained bitterly about it.
One HIV patient told the gathering that travelling from Nkanini to Joza Clinic to collect her antiretrovirals caused her to default on her treatment. She said she would just get too tired to walk the long distance to the facility. “I sometimes wish there was one [clinic]closer to my home. I would collect my treatment religiously without fail,” she said.
A group of women who spoke to Grocott’s Mail after the event called on the government to provide mobile clinics or a satellite facility to bring much-needed health services closer to the people.
On crime, residents lamented the police’s sluggishness in dealing with their cases and a lack of communication pertaining to updates on investigations. One elderly woman said after her home was burgled and all her belongings stolen last year, she is still in the dark about the actual status of the case as she learned it had been closed.
A 34-year-old rape survivor, who is still undergoing counselling for her trauma, told Grocott’s Mail the police have not assisted her in her quest to find closure after her terrible ordeal. She also needed updates on the rape case, but none have been forthcoming.
With the incidence of rape reaching concerning levels in Makhanda recently, well-known local activist, Zanky Mahlahla, called for more community engagement and for authorities to be seen to be playing their role. “If you go to courts today, you will find that most of the cases on the roll are rape cases, and it is concerning,” Mahlahla cautioned.
Many of the residents welcomed the opportunity to share their grievances with their leaders. And while the officials had to provide answers on the spot, the residents allowed them to walk away with promises of reporting their complaints to their superiors in the hope of finding solutions.
Captain Khaya Tonjeni, a SAPS provincial communication official, assured the residents that their complaints would be referred to relevant authorities and that they would receive feedback.
Health officials from the Makana sub-district appreciated the interaction with members of the community and thus the opportunity to share critical information, including the work of community health workers and risks of defaulting on treatment, to name some. Similarly, the residents’ concerns would be passed on to the higher echelons.
The district health officials were chuffed at the community’s response to their free healthcare services on offer at the venue. While the formal programme continued inside the hall, residents got to have their healthcare checks, including HIV, blood sugar, body mass index (BMI) and others, done outside by designated nurses.
Meanwhile, teams from support groups such as Kagisano and Makana Rape Survivor Support Group, whose work entails care and advocacy for the victims of gender-based violence, also played their part and offered their services to the residents. Representing Kagisano at the event was Mbulelo Lipile. He explained that Kagisano is a Setswana word meaning ‘living together harmoniously’. He said the programme is aimed at building social cohesion and preventing collective violence in selected communities and schools across South Africa.
His contribution to the imbizo included calling on South African communities to join in the fight against gender-based violence and other atrocities. “It has been such a demand that communities want to engage with government departments, and the day has finally arrived, and all departments and stakeholders and NGOs have come to listen to the communities’ concerns,” Lipile said.
He said the theme of the day was ‘Uthuleleni kusonakala’ (You cannot be silent while damage occurs in our society). Lipile said 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against women and children needed all South Africans to participate and prevent all kinds of violence in society, especially GBV. “The scream next door is your business as a member of the community to intervene, and our provincial prevention strategy gives us authority as community members and stakeholders to prevent any form of violence, working with relevant structures such as SAPS and all law enforcing agencies of the security cluster,” Lipile asserted.
A spokesperson for Makana Rape Survivor Support Group reminded communities that Makhanda boasts a safe haven for victims of abuse, the Makana Safe House. “Are you a female victim of domestic violence or rape? Is your home no longer safe for you and your children? Do you have nowhere to go? Makana Safe House is here for you,” read one of a few posters the group displayed at the imbizo.
Residents welcomed the gathering and were hopeful their complaints would be attended to.
The imbizo ended on a high note with music, dance and food.
