The land where women live in fear

Community Alerts/ Zanele Msibi/Clewer-Mpumalanga/27 June 2017

Saturday 24 June 2017 we visited a place called Emaplastikini in Ogies, where since 2007 the land belonged to Mohammed who is in the process with lawyers to evict the community

THE COMMUNITY FACED DIFFICULT CHALLENGES

-mislead by the councillor because she wanted votes after she has won she said she don’t know the community

-the living condition is not good they do not enjoy their environmental rights

-most women have been raped but they kept quiet about it because there is no help

-no committee in the area

They use waste coal to make fire most of the time they use wood where they collect wood is not safe as they are afraid of thieves. Women are afraid to speak about abuse or to report to the police as they are afraid to be hurt by their partners after being reported. For women is pointless to report any case men are favoured. There low level of education as young girls drop up at school, drugs is a biggest issue, children eat rubbish from the dustbin because there no food at their homes. Women depend on boyfriend and social grants some women live in one shack houses with 6 children and their husband who are unemployed. Women are afraid to talk.

They identified the following as solutions to their problems:

*to have ABET to further their education

*safety by having a Community Police Forum

*relocate to better and safer place with water, sanitation and electricity as they have voted for better living. By Zanele Msibi