Workers at the Gerdult farm in the Maluti-a-Phofung Local Municipality have appealed to the acting mayor, Vusi Tshabalala, to provide them with proper housing as their derelict mud houses continue to crumble.

Tshabalala visited the farming community during the week, where he witnessed first-hand the appalling conditions in which the workers live in. The tiny community on the Gerdult Farm is made up of 60 residents, who all live in 13 households on the farm.

One of the residents, Thabo Motaung, who works as a caretaker on the farm, took Tshabalala on a small tour of their compounds, showing the acting mayor the fissures in the tiny dwellings.

“We are afraid that our houses will implode and trap us while we sleep. We can only thank God that we still wake up alive in the morning. You can see the cracks in this mud house,” said Motaung.

He said the land was owned by the public works department which has transferred its ownership to the department of rural development.

In response, Tshabalala promised the residents that he would convey the community’s plea to the provincial government to make sure they receive proper houses. He, however, also pointed out that the residents would first need to have title deeds written out in their names before the government can intervene.

“We are going to follow up on your case with the land authority to find out what is lacking, in order for them to register your names. We cannot build houses on land that belongs to someone else,” explained Tshabalala.

The poverty-stricken community told Tshabalala that they do not expect the government to provide them with any kind of employment. They said they only wish for government to help them resolve their impasse with the farmer who claims to own their fields on the farm.

“We were better off when we used to cultivate these fields; we would enter into some form of agreement with other farmers. We would work as labourers.

“In summer we would get paid to do the weeding, while in winter we would also help with the harvesting of mealies. That way we were able to sustain ourselves. But now we have to depend on social grants,” said another resident, Mamokete Radebe.

The other concern raised by residents was the shortage of water resources in the area. All the community members rely on a water tank which is sent by the municipality. They complained that the water is not enough to cater for all them.

“We sometimes go for three days without water, especially when there is a delay in delivering the water to our areas. Repairing our windmill would be a more sustainable solution as it would guarantee us a constant supply of water,” said Motaung.

The resident’s lack of access to healthcare facilities is another challenge that emerged during the mayor’s visit.

“We have chronically ill patients who should stick to their treatment regimen and we are worried that they might default because we sometimes go for up to three months without seeing a mobile clinic here,”added Motaung.

Tshabalala assured the community that he would address their challenges urgently. He said solar street lights will also be installed in the area and a new crèche would be erected.

In spite of all the challenges that the Gerdult Farm community is faced with, Motaung is adamant that life on the farm is better and cheaper than in the townships.

“I can survive here for years without employment. I can live off farm produce and selling cattle; one cow fetches around R5 000 which is enough to last me a long time as I do not have many expenditures. There’s no crime here, only the people from Lesotho who steal our livestock.”

Tshabalala was accompanied by mayoral committee members, Dipuo Mboso and Butana Mokoena.