With freezing temperatures and heavy downpours expected in the coming months, Pandemic Square informal settlement residents in Nkanini are worried about their safety.
The area is one of many that mushroomed across the country at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. It has no basic services such as water, electricity and toilets. Residents have labelled their living conditions as appalling.
Residents Nombeko Sikhuni said the conditions have been exacerbated by a nearby pond. “When we erected our shacks here there was no water in the pond and we didn’t know it was a pond. Some people erected their shacks inside the pond but left after they noticed that there was sewage coming in,” explained Sikhuni. She said all they need are temporary toilets, adding that they are struggling to answer the call of nature. “We’ve been here for almost five years now. There are no toilets, water and electricity. We ended up illegally connecting the water from the neighbouring areas. Some of us built pit toilets, while others went to the bushes. The ward councillor told us straight that we can’t get electricity because we are in a wetland,” she said.
Sikhuni said the last meeting they had with the councillor last month he said he would talk to the City’s officials to put in temporary toilets in the area.
While winter will bring some much-needed relief from the mosquitoes at night, the unbearable stink from the pond and the surging water are making their lives more complicated.
“All the drains in the area are offloading here in the pond. The stink that comes from the pond is unbearable, particularly in the morning and evening. Our children have ringworms and rash,” she said.
Another resident Lulekwa Mbashe said they don’t mind even if the City can relocate them to a safe place.
Ward 95 councillor Ayanda Tetani confirmed he is aware of the challenges faced by the residents and is addressing them.
He added that a meeting was held between residents and City officials on Tuesday 28 May. “I have seven informal settlements in my ward, all established during the Covid-19 pandemic. None has basic services,” said Tetani. According to him, the City has promised to provide some services to two or three areas. “It will all depend on the budget allocation the ward will receive in next term’s budget allocation, starting next month. The reality is they will not be done at once,” he stated.
