Khomani-San group highlights neglected community in Standerton
According to Wilson van Zyl, chief of the Khomani-San, Azalea was overlooked as a community for several years.
The Khomani-San group residing in the Azalea area voiced their concerns over several problems within the community.
This group of culture-driven individuals wants to better the lives of Azalea residents through several initiatives.
According to Wilson van Zyl, chief of the Khomani-San, Azalea was overlooked as a community for several years, leading to the rapid decline of living conditions.
“Many people within our community do not have title deeds for their homes, despite being promised the deeds years ago,” explained Van Zyl.
According to Van Zyl, a large portion of the community is unemployed, but unable to apply for municipal grants because of the lack of title deeds.
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He explained the challenges the community faces daily including problems with sewerage, roads, accessibility to homes for the elderly, crime and drug abuse.
Van Zyl said a sewerage leak in the old park had injured many residents over the years, causing them to fall into the raw sewage.
Because of their deteriorated state, many roads in Azalea, including the entrance to Angelier Street, are nearly inaccessible.
“Many elderly people in the area cannot comfortably move around in their homes,” added Van Zyl.
Though the community reported several of the issues to the municipality, the local government took no action to better the lives of community members.
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The group explained the recent forming of the Azalea CPF alleviated crime in the area, but drug abuse among the many unemployed residents continues to be a problem.
Rosetta van der Colff, head woman of the Khomani-San community in Standerton, explained they aimed to raise the morale of community members by hosting several events.
One example of a yearly Khomani-San event is the Heritage Day celebration.
“We gather under a big acorn tree and cook several traditional dishes for all residents of Azalea to enjoy together,” said Van der Colff.
Ultimately, the Khomani-San desire for their community and its residents to be seen and recognised.
