Three years on, Kanana is still living with the stench of neglect

Residents in Kanana Extension 5 within Tembisa and Delft South in Cape Town face persistent infrastructure failures as local government elections approach on November 4. In both areas, citizens report enduring severe shortages of water, sanitation, and electricity for extended periods. These conditions have fueled deep resentment toward political figures who seek votes while failing to deliver basic services. The complaints span multiple years, with some residents indicating they have suffered from outages for up to six years. In Kanana Extension 5, the physical environment presents a visible crisis. Sewage flows openly through narrow streets, passing directly beside residential homes. Flies congregate around the waste, creating a pervasive odor that residents describe as difficult to ignore. Daily activities continue amidst this backdrop. Children play near the contaminated water, and adults sit outside their dwellings. Some residents cook over open fires, positioning their pots mere meters from streams of dirty water. This scene mirrors reports from a visit conducted three years prior, following a service delivery strike that resulted in four deaths and the arson of the Ekurhuleni Customer Care Centre. At that time, the focus was on understanding life after the unrest. Today, the infrastructure deficits remain largely unchanged. Tebogo Maesela, a resident who identifies himself as a native of the area, expressed frustration regarding the lack of progress. He stated that the community has been without water and proper sanitation for two months. Maesela questioned the logic of voting for politicians who fail to provide these essentials. His daily routine illustrates the practical impact of these failures. As a job seeker, he requires a charged mobile phone to maintain contact with potential employers. However, electricity is unavailable in his immediate vicinity. To charge his device, he walks to Phomolong, a neighboring section adjacent to the informal settlement. There, he pays five rand for access to water and electricity. While this sum appears minor to those with stable incomes, it represents a significant financial burden for Maesela, who must carefully plan even for small necessities. During a walk through the neighborhood, Maesela pointed out a large, healthy tree growing next to a sewer pipe. He noted that the tree thrives due to the nutrient-rich sewage, contrasting its vitality with the deteriorating conditions affecting human health. He observed children playing nearby and emphasized that the community’s demands are modest. Residents do not seek luxury housing. Instead, they request basic amenities such as toilets, clean environments, and reliable water access. Maesela stated that the current situation forces people to accept conditions that compromise their dignity. In Delft South, specifically on Ivoorhout Street, residents face similar challenges related to electricity. Isobel Klein, 56, who has lived in the area for 30 years, reported being without power for six months. She stated that repeated attempts to contact councillors via email yielded no results. Her household relies on social security grants, making the purchase of candles, paraffin, and gas for heating and lighting a significant strain. Basic tasks such as washing and ironing school uniforms and preparing food have become arduous. Klein expressed doubt that the electricity will be restored despite her efforts to report the issue. She indicated that paying municipal rates has not secured assistance, leading her to believe that changing council representation is necessary. Another resident, an 86-year-old woman who requested anonymity, described the difficulty of cooking without power. She prepares meals over an open fire, a method she finds unsafe and inconvenient for her age. She reported receiving dismissive responses when seeking help, feeling that officials assumed the residents were responsible for their own plight. Hendalene Bosch, 62, highlighted safety risks associated with the power cuts. She described disconnected wiring in her home and illegal cables running across her property. Bosch fears that these exposed wires could ignite a fire. Due to the inability to cook properly, she consumes dry bread to facilitate the intake of her chronic medication. Neil Engelbrecht, a representative of the People’s Movement for Change, attributed the outages in Delft to illegal electrical connections originating from a nearby informal settlement. He claimed that individuals from the settlement had tapped into the substation, causing blackouts on Ivoorhout Street and nine other roads. These assertions have not confirmed the specific technical causes or the total scope of the disruptions. The City of Cape Town has historically designated Delft as an Eskom electricity supply zone, while retaining responsibility for municipal streetlights. Engelbrecht suggested that years of unfulfilled promises have diminished residents' engagement with the electoral process. In both Kanana and Delft, the primary demand from voters remains the restoration of fundamental utilities.