WATCH: 'Eldos’ housing crisis killed my marriages'

For Eldorado Park resident Bianca Smith the community’s housing crisis can be summed up in the failure of her two marriages.

The mother of four credits the demise of her relationships to the lack of privacy and close quarters of her one-bedroomed home.

"Most of us women are divorced due to no privacy. There's no privacy because of these small places. They put you into these places when you are single and they [the government] promise you a bigger place but nothing at all‚ absolutely nothing. I was married twice and had two sons from my first marriage and two sons from my second marriage and I've been single for nine years" said Smith.

Smith‚ 42‚ lives in Extension 2‚ in the notorious sub-township in the southern part of Soweto‚ Johannesburg‚ with her four sons. All five of them share the same bedroom due to insufficient space.

Her one-bedroom flat‚ which has recently painted‚ is situated on the ground floor of the block of flats.

There is only one entrance or exit - the kitchen door. It only takes a few steps before you reach the bathroom with an old bath tub and no basin. There is no bathroom door and the family has installed a curtain for some semblance of privacy.

The bedroom is cramped‚ accommodating a double bed and a set of bunk beds. Smith shares the bedroom with her four sons‚ aged 11‚ 17‚ 19 and 21.

Smith's first marriage was in 1996 and only lasted three years. Her second marriage lasted a bit longer‚ beginning in 2001 and ending in 2008.

"The worst part is that your children have grown up‚ your children are having children and we are all living together. So picture you have five kids‚ those five kids are having kids. Where are we sleeping?" she asked.

"Every day we pray that our kids will have a better future‚ you hope that they won’t struggle the way that you're struggling selling sweets and chips‚" said Smith with tears in her eyes.

Although protests in the area abated on Wednesday‚ residents say they will continue to fight for better living conditions.

Since Monday‚ residents of Eldorado Park and nearby Ennerdale has been demanding space to build houses while others have called for clarity on where their names are on the municipal housing list.

Mayor Herman Mashaba's spokesman‚ Tony Taverna-Turisan‚ told TimesLIVE on Monday that the DA-led administration inherited a housing backlog of about 300‚000 units and that it would take at least a century to deal with the housing challenges in the municipality.

For many women in ‘Eldos’‚ as it is affectionately known‚ the concern is not only for their own wellbeing‚ but also that of their children. Smith‚ who was clad in her pyjamas and sitting on her double bed‚ said she was worried her sons would live the same kind of life she has‚ going from one hardship to another.

• Eldorado Park residents loot petrol stationsAlthough the situation at Eldorado Park in the south of Johannesburg has calmed down‚ residents are still resorting to looting shops‚ this time convenience stores at petrol stations.

The entrepreneur‚ who survives by selling food to school children at local schools‚ said her savings help her to survive when schools are closed.

Smith said money had divided the community because there was a clear separation between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’.

"Money actually separates us as coloureds. If you have more money than me‚ then you are recognised and mingle around with wealthy people. But that also depends on the type of the person. Some walk with a chip on their shoulder and others don’t. The struggle divides us as coloureds‚" she said.

• Mashaba says 'criminal elements' hijacking service delivery protestsJohannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba says there is no quick fix to the service delivery backlogs that have sparked violent protests in the city.

Smith and other residents in Eldorado Park say they have lost faith in both the local and national governments.

"The DA has been running Eldorado Park for many years because we have been voting for them forever but we don’t see any difference.

Peter Rafferty (DA ward councillor in the area) is sitting wherever he is and apparently locked himself in the police station saying that we are going to harm him.

• Leaders must take responsibility for their actions: Gauteng MMC for SafetyGauteng MEC of Community Safety Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane has pleaded with government officials to take responsibility for their actions.

How can we harm him? When it's time for voting he can come and pat us on the back but when it's time for service delivery‚ he's supposed to be standing side by side with us‚ not hiding away. Does he have something to hide?" she asked angrily.

TimesLIVE has been unable to reach Rafferty‚ despite several calls and text messages.

Smith has been living in her flat for 22 years and says there hasn’t been any development in the community‚ including the building of RDP houses like in other parts of Soweto.

This has severely dented her trust in both the African National Congress and the Democratic Alliance.

Police have maintained a high police presence in the area on Thursday as there were fears more protests could erupt.