- Heavy rain in the Joburg informal settlement in Komani, Eastern Cape, has forced residents to sit on the roofs of their huts and wait for the rain to stop.
- More than a year after the devastating floods of February 2023, those who have not yet been able to relocate say they have been forgotten.
- In the series on the roadNews24 is touring the country to gauge South African sentiment ahead of the election.
Batini Tebeka, 49, has to sit on the roof of her family's hut whenever it rains in Komani.
His job is to monitor the rain and warn other families if the water level rises too high.
And if the worst happens, the male family members have to carry the remaining relatives on their backs and shoulders. Because they too have to sit on the roof until the rain stops.
Tebeka said, “I can't sleep when it rains. I'm scared that water will come in and I'll lose my house.''
This is the reality for most residents of Joburg, an informal settlement in Komani, Eastern Cape.
The area is another stronghold of the ANC and is the home region of Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane.
ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa can also be seen shining a light on at least two billboards in the town over piles of residents' trash that have been dumped.
This is probably one of the filthiest areas the News24 On The Road team has visited.
Illegal dumping near Komani's grave. (Luke Daniel/News24)
However, most local residents don't care about trash. Their most pressing concern is flooding.
More than a year has passed since heavy rain caused severe damage. flood In Komani, the Komani River flooded and hundreds of people were evacuated.
Residents were forced to evacuate, and some were later relocated.
The devastating floods continued for nearly two weeks, and the body of a woman who was swept away by the floodwaters was later recovered by search and rescue teams.
On the road | There's no water, toilets or electricity, but Lurie Park's occupants hope they can call it home.
Some of the stranded people told News24 they are still struggling with flooding in the area. They feel forgotten.
The group is desperate to move to dry land, but the continued rain in Komani this week has added to their desperation.
This informal settlement is a stone's throw from the Komani River, which floods during heavy rains.
Batini Tebeka is a resident of an informal settlement in Joburg (Luke Daniel/News24).
The last flood occurred in February 2023. A resident who spoke to News24 said that although the flooding was not as severe as his 2023 disaster, sheds are regularly submerged in Joburg.
Tebeka moved to an informal settlement in 2020 to be closer to work.
Life here has no value. Floods happen all the time and are frustrating. I haven't slept this week because I have to watch the water. It's a problem when water gets in. I get worried every time it rains, and I can't sleep because I don't know how much water will be in the shed by the time I wake up.
He said he hopes to move soon.
Ntsikelelo Ndinisa from Komani. (Luke Daniel/News24)
Ntsikelelo Ndinisa, 49, who migrated from Ntabethemba and has lived in the informal settlement for more than 20 years, said life in the informal settlement had changed dramatically in recent years.
He works as a taxi driver at a nearby taxi rank.
Taxi rank near Komani informal settlement. (Luke Daniel/News24)
“When I arrived, there was no flooding. We were living peacefully until the floods disrupted our lives. Our hut was flooded and we lost everything,” Ndinisa said.
He explained that the first group had moved to an area called JJ and that he wanted to join the group.
“The main reason I moved here was because I didn't have transportation to get to work. I moved to that town, but when I was told I would be relocated, I came back. But on another list… I was told it was listed.
“We had a flood again this year, but it wasn't a major disaster, although water got into our hut.
“Every time we get a warning that it's going to rain for days on end, we have no choice but to abandon our huts and hunker down with friends for that period,” he says.
Ndinisa said she was unsure whether to vote because the housing crisis was not resolved.
He said:
I think we don't vote because we vote, but nothing works. We are voting, but nothing changes. We live in a shack, but it's not safe.
He added that high crime levels in the area added to their plight. Break-ins were common in the area.
“There are frequent knocks in the middle of the night, and if the door doesn’t open, people get kicked out,” he said.
Ndinisa said the municipality had promised to relocate residents in early 2023, but no one had done so.
He said ward councilors are “checking in” but that's it. I couldn't find out anything specific from check-in. “Nobody comes here,” he added.
Residents also said they lost their identification documents and damaged electronic devices in the floods.
Also read | City of Johannesburg is 'actively working' on flood prevention in Marshalltown fire victims area
Aphiwe Doliso, 31, has been living in the informal settlement for three years. He is also anxious to be transferred elsewhere.
But Dolliso criticized the process of selecting transferees.
“The only reason life is different here is because of the floods,” Doliso said.
Aphiwe Doliso. (Luke Daniel/News24)
He said the selection process for transferees was questionable.
“People who were here for a short period of time were relocated, but we were living in flooded shacks,” he said.
he added:
Life here was painful. I can see what's going on. we are suffering.
Doriso said the community's efforts were in vain.
“We have been trying to come together as a community and I think people are tired right now because our names have been added to so many lists. But there is no way forward and no one They also don't help us. They forget about us,” Dolisso said.
