Promised Houses for Eastern Cape Families Remain Elusive as Toilets Replace Homes

In a disappointing turn of events for sixteen families in Mnune Extension 2, Whittlesea, near Komani, South Africa, their long wait for promised housing has resulted in being provided with toilets, but no homes. This underwhelming development epitomizes the ordeal these families have faced for over a decade, as they continue to live in inadequate zinc and mud shelters without electricity and considerable water scarcity.

Zizipho Ntaba and the other families were left behind during a relocation effort by the Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality in 2009. While some residents were moved to temporary accommodations in Mabuyaze, those who remained were assured they would eventually receive Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) houses. Although the municipality, represented by spokesperson Lonwabo Kowa, claims these families have 'approved' status on the housing list, the reality on the ground has been markedly different.

The skepticism from Ntaba and her community is palpable. Ntaba resides in a three-room mud house with seven other family members. Despite a deceiving exterior that suggests a sturdy abode, their home leaks, and the roof is susceptible to wind damage. The recent installation of toilets, resembling pit latrines with a requisite bucket of water for flushing, has done little to elevate the spirits of the community or alleviate their essential needs.

Not only do the sixteen families endure inadequate living conditions, but they also face the challenge of limited water access. A single standpipe tap, which only operates for a few hours in the morning, is their sole water source. Ntaba pointedly remarks on the futility of the newly built toilets without a reliable water supply. Her frustration is echoed by the community's fruitless engagements with municipal officials, whose promises of RDP houses seem ever elusive.

The conflicting information from authorities only adds to the despair. While Kowa states the affected families are on the housing list with serviced sites identified in Extension 4 of Whittlesea, the Eastern Cape Department of Human Settlements has conflicting statements. Spokesperson Siyabonga Mdodi highlighted that Ntaba's mother’s application for housing is still under approval, and other families aren't on the list.

Local DA Councillor Zuko Mandile points to the broader regional housing crisis and bureaucratic inertia as causes for the delay. This has resulted in a poignant loss of hope among the residents of Mnune Extension 2, who have little faith left in the system meant to assist them.

As an extension of the community's plight, the advancement of these sanitation facilities has been criticized as a potential political ploy, not a genuine step towards resolving the housing crisis. For Ntaba and her fellow residents, the daily reality continues to be a struggle for basic dignity and stability.