For more than two decades under ANC rule, Sharpeville residents have been forced to occupy houses drenched in sewage water, use roads full of potholes so deep they are referred to as "graves" and often go up to six months without their waste being collected.
This has led to the mushrooming of unofficial dumping sites in parts of the township where heaps of rubbish remain uncollected. In other areas, residents have resorted to forking out between R20 and R50 per household a week to get private service providers to collect their waste.
Those unable to pay for a service provider dump their trash in nearby open spaces, often on the side of the road, where sewage water runs freely. For locals, its stench has become normal.
The ANC narrowly survived being relegated to opposition benches in the area during last year’s local government elections.
MEC for human settlements and cooperative governance, Lebogang Maile, has revealed the Emfuleni municipality’s monthly salary bill for waste removal employees totaled R1.3m and R810,000 was spent on their overtime.
He made the revelation in a written reply to DA MEC for human settlements, Crezane Bosch. He also revealed the municipality had spent R40m on overtime on waste removal employees in the five past financial years.
Residents and opposition parties put the blame squarely on the ruling party, which narrowly survived being relegated to opposition benches during last year’s local government elections.
Of the 90 seats in the municipal council, the ANC controls 38, the DA 24 and the EFF 14 seats. The ANC governs with the assistance of smaller parties, including Solidarity, the Patriotic Alliance and Vaal Vaal Alternative Alliance Lekgotla.
Sunday Times Daily visited Sharpeville situated between two large industrial cities, Vanderbijlpark and Vereeniging, where lack of service delivery appears to be the norm.
Other than potholes, the corner of Hofmeyer and George streets in the Vereeniging CBD appears to be the worst. It is drenched in sewage water across the entire street, preventing pedestrians from crossing and cars are forced to drive slowly.
Asked how long the road had been like that, resident Serero Leseane responded: “For as long as I can remember”.
At least three roadworks were taking place around the Sharpeville and Vanderbijlpark areas. Workers were reluctant to comment on whether the area was being spruced up ahead of Human Rights Day on Monday.
“This is the time when cleaning happens. Because of the event, officials will come here. They always clean-up. But throughout the year, it does not happen,” said DA caucus leader Teboho Tlokwe.
Sharpeville residents said they continue to be neglected and are left with no hope their living conditions will soon improve.
In 2018, the embattled municipality was put under administration because of its inability to provide adequate service delivery and due to allegations of maladministration.
At the time Gauteng premier David Makhura said the decision was taken ensure to service delivery took place‚ and “ensure the financial viability through a financial recovery plan”. He vowed rescue the municipality in line with section 139 of the constitution, which gives the provincial executive of a province the authority to intervene when the municipality cannot or does not fulfil its executive obligations.
Four years later, the decision appears not to have borne fruit.
Service delivery comes at a really slow pace. I want change. This is why I have been voting. But it’s like our cries fall on deaf ears.
— Sharpeville resident Modiehi Maphutse
“Nothing has changed in more than 20 years. As you have seen, the municipality continues to deteriorate under their leadership. There are areas where refuse has not been collected for more than six months, and this is why you will see dumping sites in almost every street. There is generally no adequate plan and political will to turn around the situation,” according to EFF regional chairperson Isaac Khithika.
Tlokwe said financial problems persist and attributed this to the municipality’s inability to collect enough revenue and, as a result, failing to run its affairs, including paying creditors.
“I think the main issue is the political will and factionalism we have experienced in the ruling party."
An elderly resident, Modiehi Maphutse, who has lived in Sharpeville less than a kilometre away from where the 1960 massacre took place, cited potholes, refuse collection and crime as issues.
She said was painful for her as she had been voting since the dawn of democracy.
“Service delivery comes at a really slow pace, I want change. This is why I have been voting. But it’s like our cries fall on deaf ears. We only see real change once a year, ahead of Human Rights Day,” she said.
Resident, Mammy Tsotetsi said: “The government is failing us. Unemployment is very high in this area. Even when there are projects we are not informed or hired, we just see things happening.”
To combat crime in the area, Tsotetsi and Maphutse said the community had resolved to have whistles and WhatsApp groups where suspicious activities are reported. At night, whistles are blown for neighbours to intervene.
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