eMBALENHLE – Residents of Marikana Section, Phase 1 are tired of their living conditions.
The informal settlement dwellers invaded the land in 2012 and they were allegedly helped by the now Ward councillor, Ms Mency Ndoda.
Allegedly they paid about R215 per shack so if the time came for them to be evicted, they would have lawyers to defend them.
The residents claimed that Ms Ndoda had promised to help them get the land legally if they vote for her.
However, when she won the Ward she changed and began treating them like “enemies”.
The residents have lost count of how many times they have requested her to help them with the problems they are facing.
They are willing ready to fix the problems and formalise the area.
The residents want to organise the shacks so that a space for roads can be created.
When the residents fall ill, it is difficult for an ambulance to get to the house.
They have to use a wheelbarrow to get the sick residents out of their homes, because the ambulance can not go in.
“The children are sick, because we are living in a dirty place, there is a lot of disease here.
“We do not want help from the municipality, we will do this on our own.
“They have failed to help us.”
The residents recently went to the police station to request that the police protect them from the municipality.
They want to begin the project, however they fear that the municipality will disturb them.
Another reason they went to the police station was to inform the police that they were intending to demolish the empty shacks, because these are ideal hideouts for criminals.
Allegedy criminals use the empty shacks to commit crimes such as rapes and to sell drugs.
Apparently two of the empty shacks belong to Ms Ndoda.
Allegedy when the residents wanted to destroy these empty shacks, Ms Ndoda threatened to kill them.
The residents opted to involve the police, because Ms Ndoda allegedly said that an invitation letter must be sent to her if they want to meet with her.
“She hardly has community meetings, but we will see in 2021 what will happen.
“She now acts like we are thugs, but she was the one helping us to invade the land.
“It was us who voted for her after she gave us the land.”
Ms Mency Ndoda, Ward councillor, has distanced herself from the allegations and said this is nothing but a smear campaign against her.
She maintains that she always tends to the matters of the community and she constantly meets with the Marikana Residents.
She denied owning shacks in Marikana.
“The people behind this want to assassinate my character.
“I am always on the ground with the people in my Ward.”
