The Housing Crisis in the Mining Areas By Bushy Thlakaneng

I raise this observation and frustration, as a Vaal Reefs resident, on behalf of thousands of mine workers and ex-mine workers.

The state president has given and reiterated the deadline for mining houses to come clean in terms of building houses and improving the living conditions of hosting communities in the context of their social labor plan and mining charter developments target. Over year’s Anglo gold Ashanti in Matlosana seems to be moving in the opposite direction to this clarion call by the president. This is evident in a number of past events to cite a few, Anglo gold Ashanti has been in the business of donating land to government in general and Matlosana municipality in particular without sustainable development objectives. We have seen the Matlosana municipality using such land for instance as grave sites.

Klerksdorp Record covered a story of Oppenheimer stadium without electricity. Guess what, this stadium was donated by Anglo gold Ashanti to Matlosana Municipality.

Over the years ex-mine workers and or their children are languishing in the dusty street of Matlosana looking for places to rent, despite having worked of their parents and given their entire youth and adult life to Anglo gold Ashanti.

I observed that even most Municipal workers do not have houses of their own. All these categories of workers do not qualify for RDP nor bond houses. We are all watching how Anglo Gold and the government is going to turn this property tide around given the president marching orders.

The state of affairs persists unabated under the noise of government, community, and business forums in Matlosana. Nithuleleni into Zonakala (Why keep quiet when things are getting worse.