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
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