WATCH: Displaced people making the best of what they have
Life is difficult for these families because they struggle to survive especially since most of them they don’t have documentation as fire destroyed them.
OVER 200 displaced people found their new home in makeshift tents adjacent to Wembley Stadium, Johannesburg South.
There is no indication as to how long they will have to stay in their new found homes.The more than 200 people, which includes men, women and children, live side-by-side in tents. Some tents are made to accommodate three people but are now home to between 12 and 15 people.
These people were evicted in Johannesburg central recently and others were left homeless when a building they were living in, caught fire in the beginning of July. Life is difficult for these families because they struggle to survive especially since most of them don’t have any documentation as the fire destroyed it.
WATCH:
COURIER spoke to one of the representatives of the people living in the tents, Abdul ‘Rambo’ Jamal, who is originally from Tanzania. He said everything is difficult where they are.
“We were put in these tents with no running water. We cook from the ground using wood and since it is still winter these tents are freezing at night. You can literally see dew melting and dripping onto us.
“Since we do not have documentation because of the fire, life is difficult for us. We cannot even go to town and seek a peace job because if the police catch you, an arrest is imminent and this means Lindela Repatriation Centre (a detention centre for undocumented migrants in South Africa) for you and ultimately deportation.
“Although we have people who come and donate food like rice and beans, we are struggling. At times we put together whatever we have to purchase a R7 chicken skin packet to eat. No man must live the way we do. We are family men but since we cannot provide for our families, life is hard,” he explained.
Also, Amanda Booi, a South African from Eastern Cape said her husband was one of the seven dead people in Cape York building which caught fire on July 5. “My life has changed. Rambo helped us here a lot but I don’t know where to turn to since my husband died,” she said.
The mayor of Johannesburg, Clr Herman Mashaba, said foreigners, legal or illegal, is not the responsibility of the city and it’s not his responsibility to provide accommodation to foreigners. Rambo said they are waiting for the resolution from the city because they came here in South Africa legally in 1998.
The area falls under ward 124 but the councillor will only be available after by-elections on August 23. On July 26, the COURIER contacted Clr Faeeza Chame for comment as her ward is near the area. She said, “The MMC for Housing with the city officials is having a meeting regarding the Wembley Stadium issue. But what I heard is that most of the displaced people had already found alternative accommodation. Also, 90 per cent of the people at the Wembley Stadium is foreigners. The city is trying their best to accommodate these people.”
Region F Housing Official, Moabi Pekane, was contacted for comment as well, however, he was unavailable; his office said he was in a day long meeting on July 27. He was also contacted via a SMS and email for comment.
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