This is the ineptitude on the part of the powers that be with the Dube hostel stagnation as well as the Diepkloof hostel state of being.
As we made our trip to Dube Hostel a stench, rodents, dilapidated flats and faces of despair welcomed us.
The flats, built in 2007 to 2010 have been lying unoccupied as a result of ‘cold-war’ between hostel members and local government.
Both the new flats and old dilapidated hostel (some on the verge of
collapsing) are the in the same complex but divided by an erected fence bearing holes.
At core is that local government wants flats tenants to pay for bills yet the hostel members are against that policy.
Bongani Ndlovu, who was on the initial list to occupy the new flat, has left the hostel because he has a family to take care of.
Speaking to SLM on his way from work the weary looking Ndlovu says:”Mina bhuti I’ve registered to occupy the flat and pay because we understand there’s nothing for mahala, although we were in discussion on payment. Some were against paying.”
But since then, our Indunas (chiefs at hostel) have decided that we were not going to move into those flats, thus I decided to leave the hostel and look for another place here in Dube. I have a family and they look up to me,” says Ndlovu, who now stays in shack.
“It’s sad because this is our wasted tax money,” says one of the hostel residents, who preferred anonymity.
