Drugs addicts invade community hall in eMbalenhle
"We cannot blame the police for something that was created by the municipality."
Sijongile Ndamase Community Hall in eMbalenhle has turned into a drug house where even dealers allegedly trade without fear of the police.
Residents from the township are too scared to pass by the community hall, the addicts have taken over the hall, sleeping and smoking there.
Adjacent to the hall, is an old aged clinic where senior citizens queue outside for their medicine, regardless of the weather.
“We have reported this hall to the municipality two years ago, but were told that it will be renovated. The municipality had advertised for a contractor to do the work where after the municipality will tighten the security.
“Nothing has yet happened and the issue has become a problem for the community,” said Mr Vusi Mngoma, a hawker who sells his goods next to the hall.
“We cannot blame the police for something that was created by the municipality.
“The police do their work but if the municipality neglects community buildings, that makes it easier for criminals, drug dealers and addicts to use it,” said Mr Mngoma.
Other residents said as the hall is situated next to the mall, they are scared to do their grocery at night because they have to pass by the hall where they can be robbed by those drug heads.
“These Nyaope-users are scary. About two months ago, they tried to rob my child,” said Ms Getrude Mdlalane.
“I send my child to withdraw money from the ATM at the mall but she came back running.
“She said the Nyaope smokers blocked her on her way back home but she managed to escape before they could grab her,” said Ms Mdlalane.
She asked by the municipality has not yet demolished the building because it is in any way not being maintained.
Gert Sibande District Municipality, when presenting its Integrated Development Plan (IDP) at the Lillian Ngoyi Centre in September 2019, budgeted to renovate the Sijongile Ndamase Community Hall but nothing has happened since.
The executive mayor of Govan Mbeki Municipality, Mr Nhlakanipho Zuma, also visited the hall and conducted an inspection of the facility in March this year.
The communication departments of both GSDM and Govan Mbeki Municipality did not respond at the time of going to press.
