The State of the Nation Address has become a ritual that marginalized communities have lost confidence in.
Extreme poverty and loss of employment in the midst of Covid-19 continues to disillusion Abahlali (dwellers) as the poverty gap continues to widen.
The Mandela informal settlement is a refugee for many people who cannot access rental housing and also ‘abahlali’ who are recognized by the local municipality on waiting lists for RDP houses. Migrants have also found space in the informal settlement. Other people who have settled there are ‘unwanted elements associated with criminality’.
Thando Masilela, a resident of Mandela for several years spoke to Highveld Chronicle on the state of the Mandela informal settlement. He pointed out that, “Abahlali baseMjondolo are far removed from any expectations and hope of anything ever changing here.”
Masilela added, “Maybe those who are on a waiting list for RDP will move out but nothing changes, more people will still keep coming. Speeches will not change anything my brother; unless we see impacts on the ground of attempts to solve our real problems, can we follow this SONA yearly ritual but I tell you if you come back next year all will be just like this.”
Thandi Skosana, a local Mandela spaza owner also spoke to Highveld Chronicle on the state of informal settlements saying, “We will only listen to SONA on radio but I personally will not follow it, my boyfriend listens to it but to tell you the true Mandela will only keep growing and crime will get worse especially with Covid-19. Politicians only come here when they want something, after getting what they want you will not see them again. SONA means nothing to me.”
In a statement, the Democratic Alliance said, “Our country is facing unprecedented threats on three fronts, a pandemic crisis, an economic crisis and a crisis of our democracy… and the president is going to have to face all three these crises head on… It cannot be another SONA of announcing impossible projects that sound wonderful but will never be realized. The ANC must abandon the project of cadre deployment, which is just another word for state capture… It has bred a culture of corruption, nepotism, patronage, arrogance, impunity and incompetence.”Highveld Chronicle‘s attempts to get comments on the state of informal settlements in Delmas and the surrounding areas from the local African National Congress were futile. By the time of going to print, the Economic Freedom Fighters were also yet to respond.
