On Saturday , September 19th 2009 we participated in a workshop to look more deeper at the problems we experience in Ikemeleng and to make a plan to take action .
We held this workshop in the Rustenburg Library .The workshop was facilitated by the coordinatos of the Monitoring Action project Eric Makua and Bobby Marie. The group from the community was: Phindile Boitumelo and Thobile Norman Rasta, Lynda Mathafemi, Maggy Masega and Pule Shawe
We started the workshop by introducing ourselves and making sure everybody understood
what the workshop was about and what we wanted to come out of the workshop.
1. Mapping the Physical Environment
Bobby explained why mapping was important. We cannot make a journey from one end of the country without having a clear map. Similarly we cannot began to solve community problems without first mapping all the problems.
The group then proceeded to draw their map.
2. Listing the Problems from the Physical Environment
Next the group put red dots on points were aware of any problem that affected the community
At the same time the group wrote down these problems they identified on a Problem List
3. Mapping our Social Situation
The group then mapped out the problems that families faced. They first drew a family on the center of a chart and then drew pictures of the problem. They discussed each picture and wrote down the problem the community experienced.
4. Selecting the most important problem
We then looked at all the problems faced by the community, both from the physical environment around them as well as from the experiences of family life. We chose the top 3 problems. We did this by each person in the group voting for what he or she saw as the top problem.
The voting narrowed down the list to six problems
The group then discussed this to further narrow down the list. First they agreed that the issue of Jobs in the Mine was being taken up by other groups in the community and that it was a very complicated problem. They then voted again, each person had two votes, to arrive at the most important problem.
They arrived at the decision that the problem of “dumping areas” was the most important problem.
5. Action Planning
We then analysed the problem.
Problem
Cause
Remedy
Action
No Jobs
After so many attempts made by the employment forum, building the relationship with the mine management and National Union of Mines (NUM) was not a fruitless exercise.
in the month of June 18th we met with Aquarius where Mrs. Moraka was present. The community requested good working relationship. We inform Mrs. Moraka about all our attempt and persuasion to draft a list of unemployment rate in Inkemeleng. On 23rd June 09 we handed the list to Mrs. Moraka who referred us to meet with ward councillor to attach his signature on the list. We consult with the councillor to inform him what Mrs. Moraka has told us, and that his participation will be kindly needed.
After we meet councillor we both draft the letter that to be submitted to her, so she could involve the management .Mrs. Moraka was very happy about our plan and insisted that we need to stand firm about our point ,and appreciated what we did. She committed that she will talk to Murray and Robert to review the policy on recruitment on labour. We then decided that we will meet on agreed date
Xenophobic Wars?
As mining is depending heavily on migrant workers , this results in Rustenburg being one of the towns affected by the influx of people who comes from different places in search for employment . Thus emerges places like informal settlements that become the nearest places for the employees to live in. The one reason being not enough accommodation for them.
As our village of Ikemeleg is one of the places that has been affected by this migrant workers, tension between the non citizen with the citizen is very rife when coming to sharing the little resources that we have as community.
As we are living in this situation where by we still have to queue for water for almost a day this is were you hear of the most hatred talks amongst the Africans. Whereby people boasting of being better than others in terms of being citizens. Whereby you hear people who are entitled to vote expecting to be the first one to be served.
People who are doing business in Ikemeleng are not good in the way they relate with others because they claim that they pay tax while others don’t pay, seeing it unfair because they stand to lose while others benefit unfairly.
We are high lighting this issue while it is still time for we expect serious measures to be taken to redeem this plague of hatred amongst the Africans. Because all this fuels tribalism and gangsterism.
We feel again that ignoring this will be a serious blunder, for we feel that delaying in implementing what was in the national anthem called services delivery will also contribute to that dilemma, As we will hear people who did not qualify to vote accusing the voters by voting for nothing as they suffer the same conditions .This is the situation we are living in ikemeleng.
Rumours of War
The latest protest in Ikemeleng leads to Mayoral Attention
THE people of Ikemeleng vowed to themselves that even if they lose their life it will mean victory to their future, as its being for a long time they were scared to fight for what is the right to live.
It all started from Friday the 7th August 2009, when the community gathered themselves to meet in order to come up with what could be the best strategy to raise their concern in the way that they could be heard. It was on this meeting where resident thought that the best way was only to block the road leading to the town of Kroondal so that no one can pass through. People had had enough about all stories that the ward communities brought to them. They complained that they could no longer tolerate the excuses that were made every time about them not being able to forward this and that due to lack of finance, which are not the problem of the community.
All the people who were attending the gathering agreed that the holiday of Monday 10t, h, would be the last day to plan for how we forward our grievances’ to the executive mayor of Rustenburg.
On Sunday the 9th the ward councillor then decided to call a mass meeting of which many view it as a plan to stop the communities plan to protest. This meeting was not well attended. And truly it was his plan all the way. He told everybody in the meeting who was ready to block the road that they will meet the mighty hands of justice. But that didn’t even scare not one of the people. The people believed as they heard through the media that it was their right to fight for their right if they were peaceful.
On Monday again whistles blowers were busy gathering everyone to the play grounds as had been agreed. And this became the biggest gathering ever of the community and was a test to their future. Everyone was there to hear for him/her selves what was going to happen the next day. Everybody who came to the meeting supported the protest with their whole heart, shouting it’s time for revolution. We agreed that by 2 in the morning whistles blower must start by awakening everybody, so that they would assemble at our play grounds then from there, we would go to block all the entrances to and from Kroondal which we finally did peacefully.
During our demonstration police came but instead of any words, we heard sounds of the shooting guns and all hell broke loose. Everything went another way round, people then started to stone every passing cars to make sure that damage was encountered. Then they started chasing us with their machines
Some people got arrested and others were slightly injured. But at the end of the day the mayor did come and promise to come again on Friday, were by he will hear the community crisis.
The people also assured him that any failure on his part will lead to another serious protest, and that he should not undermine us. That was the protest that brought the attention that the community has been looking for, in order to know what’s holding back their development.
Phindile Boitumelo lives in Ikemeleng.
She is a trainee Monitor in the Monitoring Action project.
If we can be Lucky
On the 27 July on Monday at Ikemeleng Rustenburg, we as the youth forum had a feed back meeting with Murray and Roberts Cementation. They said that they had no work for us. We told them we had a plan .As the Ikemeleng youth forum we think that we can start a contract that can cut Murray and Roberts cementation costs.
We planned to do sweeping, work with the R.D.O, clean and to assist with the cleaning of the 4x4 cars that work underground. We also said we could help with safety underground.
To cut the costs of this mine, we will do something like,if the other company was charging Murray and Roberts e.g. R 50 000, we the Ikemeleng contract will charge R 45 000,so that it can cut Murray and Roberts cost . This will be something in Ikemeleng because more that 95% of the Ikemeleng youth are not working . This causes our youth to be in the big problems like girls are forced to sell their bodies and boys are stealing. So if we can be lucky to get this contract it will be better life for ikemeleng youth. We will live better if this mine gave us a small chance.
It was Painful
On the 6th July 2009 at Rustenburg village at Ikemeleng, Kroondal, as a monitor I go around making a research about our dumping area at our community,. We have four dumping area that are very dangerous for our children. The dumps can cause many diseases in the community like t.b and cholera, because some people throw dead dogs and cats on the dump. I Phindile Ngobeni go to the clinic and talk to Mr Baloyi, I ask him about different diseases that can be caused by unsafe dumping areas. He tells me that there are many diseases and germs in the dumping area.
Our children are playing on the side of these dumps. Some of them collecting tins to sell it as scrap. Some of the children have parents, but they are suffering because they have no job. Some of our people are washing on river side were people through the pamper napkins in the water. When the water flows people are washing and bathing with the water. The water has bilharzias.
At one dump we found a newborn dead child on the dumping area, It was painful just because it is the first time in our community to see something like that.
This visit made me realise that we that we can form Ikemeleng environmental project so that we can recycle . We need help to support our community.
Children with no Identity
At Rustenburg in a village of Ikemeleng we have more than thirty to thirty five orphans. Some of them are still attending school but some of them are not attending school because they don't get grants, they don't have identities and birth certificates. Others don't have families to help them apply for those documents. At Tirelong high school next to Ikemeleng the orphans who are attending school there they get grants because the teachers are helping them to call the social workers, and people used to go there to offer the orphans the food every year during the month of June. There are people who used to come there and offer blankets and track suits.
Those who are not attending school, it’s not easy for them to get help because the councillors are not taking action. Even if they go to the councillor to explain the problem, he is not doing anything. Dipuo a 22 year old says she was asking the councillor two years back to help her with the forms to get the identity document and she didn't get help till this month of July 2009. So she is collecting tins to get money that can help her family to live. Her two younger brothers do not attend school because there is no money to buy the uniform. She can't go and look for a job because she doesn't have an identity document
No Case No Police No Arrest
On the 29 May 2009 it was on Friday and I was at L&R Chauckes Tavern to see what is happening there. But it turned out to be a “smackdown” where people stabbed with knives and bottles. It was okay at first then all hell broke loose. Some guys aged 16, 21 and 24 years old started a fight. The two guys ganged up against the 24 year old guy . The 16 year old guy stabbed this guy with a knife however this guy managed to escape and he grabbed two bottles and broke them and he attacked the 16 and 21 years. The 16 year old ran away and the 24 year old guy felt brave and he tried to fight with the other guy but the 24 year old guy stabbed him half dead. The ambulance had to be called.
At around 6 am in the morning a 15 year old girl was raped in front of her home.
