“Everything that can go wrong here in Nomzamo does,” says Wandile Rafuza, a street committee member, as he casts his gaze across a dam about 100 metres from the shacks.

As you enter Nomzamo Park along the only drivable road, a huge heap of rubbish is the first obvious sign of the sorry state of affairs in this largely impoverished community.

A young couple share a cigarette in one of the abandoned stalls a few metres from the shuttered Mdlalose tavern, the scene of a deadly mass shooting which left 16 people dead and several others injured in July 2022. 

Filthy water hazard

On the fringe of the perimeter fence that separates the township from four schools lies a large expanse of dirty, stagnant water. Local kids have been swimming in it for weeks,  risking their health.

The community wants the “dam” to be drained and sealed off, fearing for the safety of their children. The stretch of water, about 80m long and 8 metres wide, was formed after heavy rains hit Gauteng in December last year. 

Last month, street committee members told Daily Maverick that they had reported the “dam” to the local councillor.

“Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) officials came and told us that they thought it was just a small puddle and said it was not their competency. We were asking that they drain the water while we plan how to seal off the area,” said Ntonbikayise Jonga, a Nomzamo street committee member.

“Our children will die in this dam. They will not even know it because it will happen as they swim and play,” Jonga said.

The area around the water is littered with rubbish and the grass is dead. There are footpaths, an indication that people do frequent the area.

“When we try to move the children away from the dam, they pretend to listen, but as soon as we look the other way, they are back,” said Rafuza.

Rafuza said the reason children were risking their lives in the dirty water was because they lacked recreational facilities.

“My suggestion would be for authorities to develop the dam into a safe swimming pool … the children are crying out for help,” Rafuza said.

Spokesperson for the JRA Bertha Peters-Scheepers thanked the community for alerting authorities to the hazardous situation.

“JRA will certainly assist with draining the water to ensure the safety of children. We will verify who is responsible for the area so that we follow due process,” said Peters-Scheepers.

“The regional JRA depot has undertaken to drain the dam to ensure the safety of the community. Work will commence shortly,” said the City of Joburg’s Nthatisi Modingoane subsequently.

Nomzamo Park street committee member Wandile Rafuza explains how the dangerous dam came to be. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)

Nomzamo Park street committee members Wandile Rafuza and Ntombikayise Jonga mull over the looming danger to children posed by the existence of a big dam in the area. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)

Nomzamo Park children take an unsafe dip in the dam under the scorching sun on a Saturday afternoon. (Photo: Supplied)

Visit Daily Maverick’s home page for more news, analysis and investigations

Plagued by neglect

Nomzamo Park, named after struggle stalwart Nomzamo Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, is one of the communities suffering from the many social ills that plague South Africa’s townships. 

Since Daily Maverick’s visit to the area in October ahead of the 2021 local government elections, conditions in Nomzamo Park have seen a sharp decline, underscored by the faded painting of ANC leaders, including Madikizela-Mandela and Oliver Tambo, which was once an artistic feature on a shack wall along the main road.

In October 2021, the area was relatively calm. That was shattered in July last year when 16 people were shot dead at the Mdlalose tavern.

Following the deadly attack, Police Minister Bheki Cele deployed Tactical Response Team (TRT) members to the area. However, according to some residents, Nomzamo Park is still fraught with criminal activity and violence.

According to the second quarter crime statistics 2022/23, Gauteng recorded 58 firearm murders at liquor outlets between July and September 2022.

Nomzamo also topped the list of areas with five or more murders between July and September 2022.

“We don’t feel safe here with the sounds of gunfire almost every night. The presence of the TRT did not make any difference because nothing has changed,” said local resident Raymond Mgebe.

Mgebe’s cousin was accosted by three robbers armed with knives and a gun on his way home from the nearby Bara Mall in mid-December. They stole everything he had and the culprits were never found.

Gauteng police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Sello told Daily Maverick last week that crime had stabilised in Nomzamo Park. However, police were still conducting random searches and ensuring compliance with liquor laws.

“Integrated operations with other law enforcement agencies and other police specialised units, as well as Operation O Kae Molao, are conducted on a weekly basis,” said Sello.

“Crime Prevention members, together with the brigades and Community Policing Forum, also conduct stop-and-searches at hotspots as per crime pattern analysis, and conduct awareness campaigns addressing GBV [gender-based violence] issues,” she added.

Unemployment is also rife in the area, especially among the youth. This contributes heavily to criminality.

Bureaucracy to blame

Speaking to Daily Maverick in October 2021, residents said they were tired of empty promises that are made around election time. 

Asked why there was a perpetual disconnect between local government and the service delivery-starved community, Rafuza blamed bureaucratic red tape.

“It’s very difficult to get anything from the government because of its protracted procedures. By the time our grievances reach the right people, they no longer have weight,” said Rafuza.

Regarding illegal dumping and uncollected rubbish, Modingoane said Pikitup collected waste three times a week in Nomzamo Park, but residents disputed this.

“The illegal dumping referred to might have been caused by the limited resources deployed during the December holidays, as some of the staff take leave during this period. Post the holidays, Pikitup operates with a full staff complement and as such the affected areas will be serviced,” said Mandingoane.

According to the City of Johannesburg , Pikitup spends about R60-million a year dealing with illegal dumping. In July 2021, the City said anyone caught dumping rubbish illegally would be fined R5,000.

The area’s ward councillor, Mohau Molefe, said he had reported the myriad problems in the area several times, “but nothing is forthcoming from these [government] entities. It’s very tough in the city these days to really do a simple service like attending to urgent issues.”

“I have been failed by these entities,” he said. DM