Boipatong residents hope elections will bring about change

With Election Day proclaimed and the voters’ roll now closed, campaigning has begun in earnest. Boipatong residents in the Emfuleni Municipality say they want their votes to bring about meaningful change and improve their lives.

These residents are living in stench from a nearby de-commissioned landfill site and a raw sewage flooding their streets and yards.

For years, Slovo Park residents in Boipatong have endured severe sewage leaks and toxic smell.

Complaints have been raised and promises have been made, election after the other. But the stinking sewage keeps on flowing.

Residents say the cry is not just a raw sewage spill, it is dignity, health and the basic right to live a normal life.

Boipatong resident Kenny Giba says, “The stench of this toxic waste has been affecting our lives. I have lost both of my parents the contributory factor is this environmental hazard and I am suffering [from] a short breath. My sons too are experiencing the same thing. So the community at large is suffocating not by choice.”

And it seems the sewage spillage has not just taken over their streets but has also stolen their hope.

“We have no hope because we don’t see anything better. As we speak the only thing we wish is that the municipality will help us, but we are not hopeful because we always complain.

“Kids are playing on this sewage and they fall sick. Cars are also struggling to pass and it is terribly affecting [us] as we also fall sick,” Giba explains.

As the local election draws closer, some residents believe their votes may be the only power left to bring the change they deserve.

Community leader, Reverend Modise Molefe says, “My vote is a demand for basic dignity. Our votes is not a trade off for empty election promises. President [Cyril] Ramaphosa uses this buzzword human dignity but the reality at the grassroot here is incredible indignity.”

And her first vote is more than a ballot – it’s her voice, her hope and her chance to shape a better future.

First time voter Bokamoso Koroni says, “I expect some change, because we need some change in Slovo Park. The sewerage needs to stop because our kids get sick and we also get sick because of the smoke even at night it gets into our home.”

As this continues to be a daily struggle, the minister responsible for the country’s municipalities like Umfuleni, has an appeal to his peers and an advice for the electorate.

Cogta Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa says, “If you love the people of South Africa you must deploy competent people and we want to urge the people of South Africa, they must look at the list of candidates when they become publicised after 28 August, scrutinise the list.”

“The political party that takes you serious, will deploy competent people. But the political party that doesn’t take you serious you will see at the calibre they give. If you have the menu you will choose the best,” he adds.

For Slovo Park residents, sewage is not just a nuisance. It is a daily reality and a reminder that a clean environment and dignity are still privileges, not guarantees.