CULTURE VS  UNEMPLOYMENT

Ndebele is nation that still follow its culture of ukuluka(circumsesion) Ndebeles are from Mpumalanga called Kwandebele but now they are all over South Africa because of employment especially in Gauteng.

Ndebele nation have they cultute of curcumsession done every year in winter whereby after you have done you are now a recognised as a man, that means they go to a mountain for three months and when you come back your family have to buy you a cow new bed and new clothes as well. The man who is responsible for the work must be paid a certain amount. 

My cousin is not working and in the family nobody is working as well and the time for him to go to the mountain has passed and he cannot participate in the the cultural meetings because he is taken as a boy, secondly the younger boys who have already been to the mountain are laughing at him. He wants to have a wife and start a family but according his culture he still a boy.My cousin is frustrated because he cannot get work at the same time he cannot do his culture that he likes so much.He cannot associate with his own people because of his status.

Our people cannot live the life they want because of the culture, i believe in cultures because they bring in respect but our people have to loosen up and adjust to the life style and understand the economy of today. I feel bad for my cousin and others who are facing the very same problem. I think our people should be capacitated and be able to change. knowledge is power. 

Unemployment is destroying families, culture and the nation. What is wrong with this Government.

Zandi Jiyane

Ekurhuleni Environmental ORG

 

Uneployment in Kwathema

I stay in area called three rooms in Kwathema Ekurhuleni. The area was build in apartheid era, because in one yard its four houses there is no privacy the houses are close together you can even here people talking, even at night you can hear people doing their business

Living so close together and most of us unemployed and no food whiles the next door nabour is having good smelling food and its daily thing. I see people losing their job and ask myself what in gonna do? I want to start a family and im afraid I will make my family suffer. Secondly if I don’t get a job that means I wont be able to start a family have my own house but we see the government people getting reach everyday and their kids getting better education from aboard whiles south Africans suffers.

We need start to mobilize our people and fight this capitalist government for better future. they introduce grant money which is R150.00 a month and its nothing they undermine us while they get millions of rands. They are greedy.

Neo Mbangula

Ekurhuleni Environmental Org

Unemployment in Kwatsadutza

Kwatsadutza it’s  three township that is Kwathema, Tsakane and Duduza , they make one town ship. This caused by increase of population people building shacks as the government is not building houses for them. Kwatsadutza is in Ekurhuleni east of Johannesburg. The population is about 160 000 we three town that are surrounding these township. Brakpan, Springs and Nigel.

Ekurhuleni was the place GOLD, PLATINUM and DIAMOND in the past 100years until the 1960 when the capitalist have finish extracting our minerals and left us with nothing. People flock to this place because of employment and now when the mine decided to close it left people without employment and overpopulated as well. Crime escalated people started building shacks as they cannot afford houses. Those who had bond houses lost their houses as they cannot afford any more.

The family next door is a family of nine where the mother and elder daughter are only one working, I just wonder how they cope with kids who are still at the  school at same time have to buy food and have money for transport to work. We have lot of highly educated people in our society who are not working and have resorted in liquor and drunks imagine those brains and information lost. When we voted for this government we promised work and better life is this it? I just finish my matric and supplemented I want to college or technikon after that what will happen to me? Our Government is still promoting labour brokers who make our people to suffer more.

I am worried about the next generation who still at school who are not aware what is waiting for them. We need to work hard to pressurize our government to do something about employment and stop corruption.

Vuyani Mqwathi

Ekurhuleni Environmental Org  

Social life in Kwa-Thema

My IS Qedusizi Masina , I live in Kwa-Thema. Kwa-thema is based at the east rand of Ekurhuleni were we have a population of 50,000 people.

My social life in kwa-thema has been such a big experience. me and my family we live in a three roomed house . the houses in my area were built in the apartheid days and were built in pairs and were never separated. In one yard fuor houses were built. These houses promoted lack of privacy and respect the area was thefore named e mathree   wich means ”three” . it has been hard for me as a young person having to seethe struggle that my family is going through because the only income we live with is grant money since no one is working and we use the money for food and electricity .

After I finished school in 2008 I was ready to go and fulfill my goals, but then in 2009 I fell pregnant and I knew I had failed in life . I was very ashamed of my self because I wanted so much in my life before I had a baby, I became so stressed I even wanted to abort the baby but it was too late for abortion I had to keep it. I knew what my family was going through and yet I brought another trouble which will cost us more than what we had ,I ended up running away from home, but my mother brought me back home and told me that everything will be fine and that the baby will grow up in what ever we have. But I felt guilty that I have let my family down. Today many girls from my street are prostitutes because they could not handle the poverty we are facing in our homes it has taught me a great value of life because maybe I would have been one of them , but I stood without food and darkness that we set through withought electricity and today I have clothes in back . I m fat from the food we have at home and most precious gift that God gave me my baby girl who is three years and 6months and still growing. all of this with the grant money and I know in my heart and soul that my success as an air hostess will bring great joy to my family.

I just want to say to all the young people out there and every other women to never give up in anything even in reaching your goals no matter what the situation throws at you, it may seem as if you have failed in life but remember there is still hope and always believe .no mater how old you are because age is just a number which will never bind you from achieving your goals.my last words are be strong , hold on and go on.

By: Qedusizi MASINA                       

                                                          MARIKANA IN KWA –THEMA EXT3

Marikana  is an informal settlement that is situated in Kwa –thema and is development of relocation of stands. The project of stands re-allocation began in 2012 around October and its aim was to solve the problem of five families living in one stand. Kwa –thema ext3 was developed around 1996 ,after the local government of k/t had closed down a cemetery in 1993 because the area is a wet land , tombstones were flooding with ground water and were sinking.

In 2011 the local government of kwa-thema anouced the project of installing services (water & sanitation ),and the separation of stands , some  members of the community saw  a chance of making money ,so the community members started to sell the house stands illegally . around 2000 shacks were built in the area, for you to build a shack there you had to pay an amount which rated from R1500.00 up wards. The unfortunate part was some of the community members who bought stands lived there because of desperation of houses. After the four days the local government and housing officials went there to allocate stands to the relevant beneficiaries and to their surprise the area was over populated with shacks . the members  of community who took money was no were to be found when needed to explain who allocated people in the area. Both housing &local government officials called for help of the red ants to forcefully remove all the unlawfully allocated shacks. The battle between red ants and the community began which led to the name Marikana.

 Today community members are crying for help because their desperation has put their lives in danger of living in harsh conditions(wet land & tailings dam)with no electricity, other basic services . one of the major problems this community is facing is sinking, flooding shacks, iligal connections of electricity.

Sanndile Nombeni                

Polluted and dangerous Spruit In Kwa Thema

Two lives have been lost in this spruit but still nothing have been done. Kwa thema is in east of Johannesburg Ekurhuleni. Population of about 50 000 people, high rate of unemployment which lead to high crime rate. Most of the people live by selling vegetables and opening small tuckshop but it’s a good place to live in except the problems brought in by Cooporations and and Government.

The spruit start from between Benoni and Brakpan passes through Wright park and the companies that the spruit passes through, these are the companies which polluted the spruit which then flows to Kwathema were at some stage it passes through Labane high primary school and its not secured im sure these student are not aware of the danger they facing. When we spoke to the student they did not know what we were talking about. In 2006 two school children who were going to school tried to cross the spruit and unfortunately they did not make it, they were found down the stream dead. As of today nothing much has been done to make sure what happen in 2006 does  not happen again. Secondly there is a informal that depend on this spruit since they don’t have water in their yard and no sewage they use this water for drinking, washing and cooking as well. Unfortunately this community is not aware of the danger they are facing. The kids play in the water. The problem is they don’t go to the doctor and check.

I decided to try and get more information about the Veref Company which make paint it was not easy so I manage to get one guy who works the and indicated that we not mansion his name he showed me where they spill their residue which contains chemicals which for now in don’t have in formation of, im still busy with that.

I am disturb with what I have  discovered. I decided to go and see the Kwa thema municipality officials they indicated to me that I must write down all the corncern I have and put on the suggestion box, I said I wanted to talk with responsible person. What they did is give the date of the meeting 7 may 2013. I hope and believe something good will happen.

Thabo Mogafe

Ekrhuleni Environmental Org

kwa thema houses build in wetlands

Houses in section called Nyanyathu are having problem of sinking hole. Kwa thema is in far east of Joburg in South Africa Ekurhuleni.It is a small township of about 48 000 population but the uneployment is high.

The Nyanathu section which was build in 1984 by the Government for the people of  Kwa-thema and people were quiet happy for the houses until some of them discovered the problem of sinking ground and house craking.The Masikili family was one of those affected by this problem.Mrs Masikili was making a living by running a creche school at her house from 2002 until one day having lunch they heard this big bang, when they went to see what was happening, they were shocked terrified of what they saw, a big hole inside the house and the other one outside the yard. First thing they did they went to municipality officials for help which they came put red tapes for danger and disappeared and she kept on asking them what when they going to fix the problem and keep on promising but no action this happen in 2004 March. She was forced stop the creche school because of the hole, afraid that children will fall in the hole and she was not getting any help from the local Government. Its now 2012 the house is not fixed yet what a shame. She decided to put lot of rocks to close the hole in the house and in the yard, but if you step in that space you can feel the ground its very soft and still can sink and no help yet.

I went to the officials in the office Mr Sdumo and explain to him the problem faced by the Masikili family and why no action taken since 2004 till now. Mr Sdumo indicated that its the first time he heard about it and he went to get more information and came back. He indicated that its not only mrs Masikili the are other houses as  well they want to fix them at once. but the time taken from 2004 till now nothing happen. He took my phone numbers so that we make an appointment to see the house. I hope and believe he will call

Qeduszi Masina
Ekurhuleni environmental organisation

polluted spruit runs through kwa thema

The polluting spruit in Kwathema and Kwa-thema is in Ekurhuleni east of Joburg in South Africa. The spruit runs from a Brakpan industrial area to Kwa-thema and its just open not fenced.

The spruit begins in Brakpan industial area which the companies spill into it  and pass through wright park which again is polluted by a company called Vereeging and it flows to kwa-thema. in Kwa -thema runs near Tlamoga college through to the pulong high school and the spruit separate the informal settlement and the coolege, the people in  the informal area still use this water not aware its toxic, children play in that water and when rains and floods the water get into informal settltement houes the smell is very bad, the community dumb the in spruit and causing a blockage and lot of rats. As the spruit runs towards Rest in peace section it pass through an open area where the community cross, children from and to school passes through , again children play the not knowing how dangerous is the water.Buluthando park was build in rest in peace in memory of the 2 kids who past away in that spruit in 2006 as the results spruit flooding. The spruit in this area is still dangerous because is not secured the is bridges for people to cross.

The spruit continues to areas in and around Kwa-thema where many improvement can be made that is putting guard rails,nets or anything that will help with safety in this regard, we as eeo tried to meet with the local government to discuss the matter even further but the local board meet once a month and we have promised a meeting with them on the29th May we (EEO) have been undertaking the bettering of our community by beginning with the small steps and work towards a better future not only for us but our future generations
Sibusiso Buthelezi
Ekurhuleni Environmental org

crime in kwatsadutsa

Kwatsadutsa, the name come from the amalgation of three Township that is Kwa-thema, tsakane and Duduza. All these township are in the east of Joburg in South Africa,the population is about 210.000 with high rate of uneployment and crime is high since the closer of mines in the area.Most people came into these place because of employment and are still living the as of now.

Since most people are not working  the crime rate is increasing very fast the type of crime that we face range from rape, housebreaking,robbery, car theft and the list goes on, those who work they earn very littlte since they work for labour brokers and get next to nothing, others sell fat cakes at schools and spaza shops.but the numbers crime doers is very high compared to those who trying to make a living by opening small bussineses . the very small spaza shops are rob now and then,secondly every friday lot of people especially those who are working they wait for them at dark places where the no street light and rob them.Thirdly the guys idling in the location end up taking drugs and rape those ladies who work till late the rate of rape has increased by 3% in the area this only. other guys use mafia style of paying protection fee to those Pakistanians who owns the tuck shop every month or certain period.

Talking to the Captain of Kwa-thema. Mr Khumbuza, Illustrated to us the following firstly the community is not coming foward to assit the police with information and its difficult for them to get culprits and he understand why the community is afraid, The problem lies with the court system whereby a police will put the culprit in jail but the court say the is no enough evidence and the culprit is out to threatin those who inform the police of his where abouts.secondly they getting a bit of help from the(CPF) crime prevention forum which work directly with the community and its members of the community, they planning to increase the number of cpf and other scrutures which assist in combating the crime and (EEO) is invited to these meeting as well to bring in ideas of helping the police to help the community at large from the dangerous crime doers a schedule will be forwarded soon.

Meshack Mbangula

(EEO) Ekurhuleni Environmental Organisation

Shaft 5 in kwa-thema(vlakfontein mine)

Kwa-thema is a township which was build were it use to be Vlakfontein mining area and other small mine as well. Kwa-thema is South africa in the east of Johannesburg, in a town called Springs and most of the people come from Paynville were they were moved by apartheid Government.

Shaft 5 was left behind by Vlakfontein Minein section called Interland and near the shaft are to schools one is Phulong secondary school and the other one is Phelang school for handicap children. The children pass near the shaft when going or coming from school everyday, the shaft is secured at all, already we have lost three kids  according to the family of Mkhwanazi. Pat who is the Street communty leader in interland section they tried many times and they have failed talking to the local government umfortunatly they cant hold of Vlakfontein mine owners.When talking to the ward coucillor Dora. she told me that place was suppose to be  made train station that was the plan from the local Government by Kwelemthini in 2008 and the aim was the train will be running from Duduza via Tsakane to Kwathema unfortunate Kwelemthini passed away and she will try and get more information about the plan. the question we ask is that in mean time what are they doing to protect the community,She indicated that she will take the matter up and see if they cant get hold of any information leading them to Vlakfontein mine owners.

We as EEO have already organised paint to write on the wall of the shaft we struggling to get the right stepleather so that we can make everybody aware of the danger we are facing.
Kagiso Modikoe
Ekurhuleni environmental Org

western platinum refinery in Kwa-thema(mzumbe)

Platinum refinery refine platinum using lot of dangerous chemicals to the refine. Not far from the plant is a section called Mzumbe and is In Kwa-thema east of Joburg in South- Africa area of Ekurhuleni.

Platinum refinery was long build even before some of the section inkwa-thema  were build like Mzumbe, it is build in 1999 near the plant and they started building it platinum refinery objected very strongly to the building of houses near its plant since they were using dangerous chemicals but unfortunatly it fell on deaf ears and the Contractor when approach he indicated that he has nothing to do with chemicals he building houses.because people are desparate for the houses it was very difficult to stop them from occupying the houses, now many people are having chest problem now and most of the peolple are not working they cannot afford good medicine and the company says its not responsable as they have tried to stop the municipality from building the houses.three weeks ago the in April two tanks blowed in the plant and lot of smoke covered the Mzumbe area and we dont know how much is the damage the health of the people.

We tried to aproach the platinum bosses but we warned that nobody is allowed near area until its known the cause of the blast and the government is not available to comment or have meeting with them.
Neo mbangula
EEO

rietfontein waist in nyanyathu ext4(kwa-thema

Rietfontein waste is very close to ext4 in Kwa-thema in springs east of Joburg South Africa.ekurhuleni thats were our town is.
When the rietfontein was established community was not consulted by the company and the place at first it was not having a concrete around it people can go through as they like and kids use play the  in the dirty dangerous play community fought and they put a concrete fenced. but people still go the to look for food,what they can sell. What is bad even companies bring toxic waste and people are not informed about that people of ext4 complain of the smell that comes from the area of the waste but the area is growing everyday nearer to the community and very toxic. talking to security he said they cant stop the people because people are hungry and desparate to get food and things they can sell.secondly they tried to stop them and they were promised to killed very soon.

Action taken we took phone numbers from the security so that we can phone the manangers of the comapany which we deed and we were told to write a letter tell them who we are state the problem and they will come back to us.
Mduduzi
EEO