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

south africa and nuclear(kwa thema)

South africa except E toll and other disadvantaging things, they want to embark on  6nuclear plant in Cape which would cost the country almost 600billion rands, secondly it wont create jobs for South africans because it needs very highly skilled people. The big problem is the amount for building these nuclear plant we dont have that and if the Government borrow from the world bank, you know who is going to pay it back? its us the poor communities through tariffs. The electricity price will increase dramatically causing more poverty and increase in crime.Our Government is undermining us by not consulting share information with the relevant stake holders so that what ever is implimented is agreed upon by all the skate holders.What happen in Japan fukushima we dont need in Mzansi, we dont need nuclear it dangerous is dirty and very expensive full of radiation Lets fight againts Nuclear today foe better tomorrow and for the next generation to come. Solution introduction of Solar, Wind tuberbiance and biomas to generate electricity because its safe and cheap.Stop capitalism and think for the poor Mr government

Meshack Mbangula

EEO

                     Paso And Cosas Riots In Kwa-Thema

Paso and Cosas started the first war of the comrades in Kwa-Thema in 1996, it started in Tlakula Secondary school and the first person to die was my neighbor because he was a Paso member. It wasn't long before the Paso members started paying revenge on the Cosas members and killed many members in Kwa-Thema. Then Kwa-Thema became corrupt, many of the people started to change their lives and the police & the politicians supplied guns to the Cosas members. Just imagine the was started by a girlfriend in Tlakula Secondary School. A peace agreement was made in June 1996, then in May 1997 the second war started it is the war where many people died. Nelson Mandela came to Kwa-Thema to make peace in April 1998. In 1999 a memorial of the members who died in the war was unveiled in Tlakula Secondary School. After peace was made the wars ended and the 45000+ population of Kwa-Thema was faced with new challenges  and high crim is one of those challenges

Written by
Kagiso Modikoe

Payneville to Kwa-Thema

Back then Paynville was a beautiful small township with black people living with coloureds and indians they rocked and learnt good education called royal education, they were smart in their minds clever, joined/united and they gathered at shebeens listening to old school songs legends like Dorothy Masuku ,Miriam Makeba etc. It has 2 mines which it owns Grootvlei Mine and East Geduld Mine , many people from the township worked there until e very unfortunate day, a violent storm called a Tornado swept through the township. Many people thought it was a very big snake but no one proved it ,Then the people from there came to settle in Kwa-Thema and form a location and called the first section of it Tornado
Payneville is in the east of Johannesburg Ekurhuleni which in 1950 - 1960 consisted of blacks, coloureds and indians dominated by blacks, it had a population of about 30000 people. Employment rates were very high since there were a lot of companies in the area as well as mines and the town was very close to the people, so they could easily walk to town. When they were moved to Kwa-Thema people had to spend money for transport and they were given small houses,  two roomed houses in Overline regardless of the family size. When they were relocated people lost much of their furniture because the government didn't care about them. The new government came into action (ANC) and it enfoced new laws for land claims because some of the people wanted to go back to Payneville which is their beautiful place.

Written by
Mduduzi Qwabe

Kwa-Thema Origins (Tornado)

 Tornado the section to be built in a township called Kwa-Thema. A small township with a population of 45000+ people and is located east of Johannesburg near a town called Springs, coming in Springs Kwa-Thema in the section of Tornado and learning the origination of this Township just blow your mind away
The name Springs came after hot Springs of underground water were discovered where the located today. Mr Thema was a black South African soldier who participated in the second world war and our township was name after his surname to honour his memory hence the name Kwa-Thema , but in order to know the origin of the name Tornado you need to the story and past behind it
1959- Closer than Kwa-Thema to Springs and the only township that was in existance at the time Payneville  is where our story begins. Black, Indian and Coloured people lived together and in harmony but this was not what the apartheid government had in mind. The government wanted separation between all the races and power over all the groups.In the year of 1959 Payneville was struck by a tornado leaving most of Payneville destroyed and the government saw this as an opportunity to relocate all black people further away from Springs and into the newly built location of Kwa-Thema
Kwa-Thema was built on what was once a mining areacalled the Vlakfontein mining area. Most if not all the people who were relocated by force were reluctant and tried protesting against the force removal but the government used force to enforce it's authority on the people. Black people's lives were changed forever, not only were they faced with new beginnings in a new location but most of what they owned and had earned was either destroyed during the tornado or lost during the forced removal.
After the first section of Kwa-Thema was built and all the people of Payneville were moved to this area the section still needed a name. Not wanting to forget where they came from and what they had been through and survived they decided to call the new section Tornado
2012- Tornado was the building block and stepping stone for what I call today my hood (ikasi lam) Kwa-Thema. Given the task to do research on the past of my township I didn't know what to expect , after learning the origins of my town I am grateful to be born in such a place. A place full of history and heritage, though faced by different challenges of apartheid and tribal wars in previous years and currently  facing the challenge of drugs and unemployment I strongly believe the people of Kwa-Thema are strong and very pesistant when it comes to overcoming the challenges they are faced with.

Written by
Sibusiso Buthelezi

Riots in Kwa-Thema

The history of riots started in1976 when students boycotted the afrikaans subject and many students died shot by the police.1990 history happened in Kwa-Thema when the Kwa-Thema community fought against the hostel people the community was divided into 2 Paso and Cosas. Paso was the hostel pople and cosas was the students, Paso members were the one's that leaked the information to the police and they also stopped students from going to school , they force students to be Paso members. the police didn't arrest them because they were working together. Cosas was under ANC, and it came in to stop Paso, they destroyed the hostel because the Paso was hiding there and the police arrested the Cosas Students and the whole community decided to interven and there was a big war. Putco buses pulled out till today we don't have buses in Kwa-Thema, the war stopped when Desmond Tutu intervened.

Written by
Anthony Mbangula