WATCH: Austin Street residents in need of ablution facilities
Austin Street residents are using shopping centre toilets to relieve themselves.
Residents of 16 Austin Street, Tulisa Park, are at their wits’ end because they have to walk to a shopping centre to relieve themselves.
The residents demand sanitation (mobile toilets) and recycling bins.
But most importantly, they say they need a toilet because the property is currently home to about 30 people.
One of the residents, James Khumalo, said he has been living on the property for about four years and he is tired of always having to walk a distance to ease himself.
“Some can’t walk to the shopping centre and opt to relieve themselves inside the yard, creating a bad smell,” he said.
Khumalo took the COURIER around the property to show the dumped rubbish, overgrown grass and worn-out furniture standing around.
“This place smells and we have old people who live here. Some may get sick.
“The property isn’t fenced off and everyone goes in and out as they please,” said Khumalo.
Residents said the smell is also affecting neighbours, which is concerning to them.
“Sometimes it becomes impossible for us to go to the shopping centre, so we opt to use buckets to relieve ourselves,’’ he said.
Residents claim some of the women prefer to relieve themselves in the overgrown grass due to the long walk to the toilet.
Another resident, Mduduzi Dlamini, also stressed that rats are feasting on their food and clothes, especially at night.
“Rats will obviously eat our things because the place is dirty and unbearable. If we have toilets and bins, all will be fixed,” said Dlamini.
All the residents say they have spoken to councillor Faeeza Chame about their grievances.
“I won’t lie. Our councillor has been good to us and she also told she can’t do much while we are living here because the property belongs to someone else.
“She gives us food now and again, but what we need is one mobile toilet and a bin,” said Dlamini.
Residents claimed they have never met the owner of the property.
Khumalo said they are aware that they are not paying any rent and the place doesn’t belong to them.
“All we want is to live like human beings, be it here or somewhere else.
“We can’t say we live here legally because we aren’t paying for anything, but we are seeking help,” said Khumalo.
Chame was contacted for comment, but no response was received at the time of print.
