Toxic legacy : Kalusha village

Khayisile Matsaba

By: Khanyisile Matsaba

Kalusha Village is an informal settlement named after the late Morapedi Mafantiri who was one of the leaders of the ANC youth league. It was originally planned for it to become formal long before the Voelpan story.  It’s a small space just next to the national road (R30),of which people have now occupied near Voelpan.

Staying in Kalusha can lead to health problems like cholera and diarrhea, not only because of the contaminated water from the Voelpan but also due to poor sanitation and hygiene.

During the past rainy season this year, about 5 people experienced a lot of small puddles in their yards and the gravel road in Kalusha. This is because the land is always holding water as it is a few meters away from the pan, and the other dams caused by the damaged sewage pump that passes just underneath the informal settlement to the Voelpan.

Another risk is that there is no fence between the settlement and the R30 road, which is not safe for the children and even for everyone either living directly next to the road or driving.

One last risk is that this Informal settlement will be another story of Riverside. People will be relocated once again because the water has flooded their shacks or the smell is too strong and people now suffer from asthma and TB.

One of the solutions that can be proposed is for Kalusha to relocate to the farm next to Nyakallong, of which Nyakallong is supposed to extend to or relocate to Allanridge where other people from other informal settlements found in Nyakallong are located. By relocating people to these places mentioned will be reducing danger and it will also be a better option since the municipality mentioned that Nyakallong is surrounded and has a lot of water which may cause the whole community to collapse.