DUTYWA- The residents of Dutywa in Zone 14 have been living in dirty conditions for 13 years, the site was initially intended as a temporary home for 400 families relocated in 2012. Thirteen(13) years later they remain stranded in a wetland area without basic services and dignity.
The families mostly elderly women and their grandchildren live in dirty conditions with makeshift shacks, communal toilets and no electricity the stench of poverty and despair hangs heavy in the air.
They scrounge for food at a nearby dumping site a stark reminder of their abandonment. One of the resident who shared her story was Nomaindia Gqola(61) lives in a one-room shack with her four daughters and five grandchildren. “Mbhashe local municipality bribed us to move promising temporary relocation, now they have forgotten us,” Gqola said.
Furthermore, the municipality’s failure to deliver on its promises has left the community feeling betrayed. Despite numerous pleas for assistance the residents of Zone 14 remain in limbo, their futures uncertain.
A couple from Zone 14 Goodman Ndikho and his partner Cikizwa Njemla who were looking through the dump with their two young children, had been there since 6:00 searching for plastic bottles and food. “We come here every morning to collect bottles and look for something to eat, some shops dump expired food here and we eat it or sell it to others in Zone 14 at a low price,” Ndiko explained.
In Zone 14, there is a lack of basic services combined with rampant crime and neglect which has created a ticking time bomb. Residents live in fear of their lives with people living with disabilities being targeted by thugs.
Furthermore, the situation is dire and the need for intervention is urgent, Mbhashe local municipality’s plans to relocate three more informal settlements to Zone 14.
In addition, Mbhashe local municipality spokesperson Babalwa Manqwanti said, “Regarding Zone 14, the municipality is in discussion with the provincial Human Settlements Department but I cannot provide further details.”
It is imperative that the authorities take immediate action to address these issues and provide a better life for the people of Zone 14, the clock is ticking and it’s time for change.
Photograph: supplied
