DURBAN – Local government elections are just around the corner but not every citizen is looking forward to them, especially residents from poverty-stricken communities.
A Kennedy Road shack dweller, Lindiwe Hadebe, 42, felt that the system may have failed her and her children. The mother of five, who is not in possession of an ID and whose children also do not have birth certificates felt that voting was pointless.
“I do not have an ID and that is because I have been a victim of numerous fires in the shacks we live in. My children also do not have birth certificates. Had the government been truly for the people, I would have not been living in a shack that risked my life and my children’s lives,” said Hadebe.
She explained that she has voted in the past and also applied for an RDP house on several occasions but has not had any luck. She is also unemployed and would have also benefited from a Social Relief of Distress Grant, of which she has never received.
‘I do not see the point of voting any more. Even if I could, I would not. It feels like we are doomed. Nobody is coming to our rescue. We do not even have the R140 to make new IDs. How on earth are we supposed to change our lives?”
Hadebe was again a fire victim. The fire was reportedly a result of a candle and started in the early hours of Saturday morning, September 25.
Busisiwe Duma, who is 69 years of age and had been a Kennedy Road resident for about three years, felt helpless.
“I am all alone here. I have been working as a domestic worker for a family in Westville. I was dismissed from work without compensation. Everything I had was burnt down. We have no food and no shelter. We sleep in the community hall that is cold and not fit for human habitation,” said Duma.
Ward councillor Hassan Haniff said he contacted disaster management to assist when the fire occurred. He said that about 400 to 500 shacks had been affected by the fire. Haniff planned to visit Kennedy Road residents this afternoon with the Housing Department.
“I am working on assisting the community. Building materials will be supplied this afternoon (Monday) or tomorrow (Tuesday) morning, according to the Housing Department,” said Haniff.
Daily News