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MESCO FARM: EVICTEES LIVING IN ‘POOR, UNSAFE CONDITIONS’
‘We want decent housing’ Dorethea Ferns stands outside her makeshift shelter at Mesco Farm in Kraaifontein. PHOTO: THABANG KUAHO
THABANG KUAHO @thab_journo
R
esidents of Mesco Farm near Kraaifontein are pleading with the government to help them find “decent” housing. This comes after almost 300 people, including children, were evicted from their homes of over 20 years at Klein Akker Farm. They spent almost two weeks camping on the side of Botfontein Road outside the farm. The rural development and land reform department later moved them to the dilapidated Mesco Farm. Residents say their living conditions now are far worse than at Klein Akker. “We do not have electricity and running water and the environment poses a threat to
our health,” resident Dorethea Ferns said. She said some of the families made a shelter from plastic to protect their belongings against the elements. Ferns lives with her sickly 40-year-old son and a man she accommodates because he had no place to stay. “We are literally living outside; we just created a shelter with plastic. It is terrible,” she said. Ferns said that most of her belongings have been ruined by the recent rains. With no job she relies on her social grants to make ends meet. Ferns explained her disappointment in government. She said it had not done much to remedy the situation.
“We were promised that this would only be a temporary solution and that a permanent one would soon follow, but nothing has been done. They must come here and explain to us what it is they have done to help find us homes. All we want is houses.” She said her son, who suffers from cancer, is not recovering well because of the poor conditions. Another resident, Annamarie Schoeman, said government had promised to help them find houses, and she would like to see this happening soon. “As much as I am grateful that I have a roof over my head, it is uncomfortable because we sleep on the floor with no mattress,” Schoeman said.
“Sometimes people make promises, but nothing ever happens. Sometimes we run out of water and we have to make calls to get water.” She said rural development and land reform deputy minister Mcebisi Skwatsha had gone out of his way to find them accommodation. The farm was the best he could come up with. Schoeman said that Sanitech toilets were provided, but these are not always cleaned. “The people that are supposed to come once or twice a week to make the toilets usable again, sometimes they do not come.” At the time of going to press the department of rural development and land reform had not responded to TygerBurger’s enquiries.