‘When She Can’t Breathe, I Carry Her’ – Living without Basic Services in Sanco-Ville
Health-e News ‘When She Can’t Breathe, I Carry Her’ – Living without Basic Services in Sanco-Ville Free State. Every time Phumza Manana suffers an asthma attack, her partner, Mhlangabezi Mgibiza has to carry her through the narrow footpaths of Sanco-ville informal settlement to the nearest place an ambulance can reach. The couple, who have lived in a shack in the settlement since 2020, get by…
Phumza Manana and Mhlangabezi Mgibiza, a married couple living in Sanco-Ville informal settlement in the Free State, struggle to access basic services such as electricity, running water, and toilets. Every time Phumza experiences an asthma attack, Mgibiza must carry her through difficult terrain to the nearest place where an ambulance can reach.
They have resided in a shack since 2020, paying R150 a month for their accommodation, which is not serviced by modern amenities. Residents of Sanco-Ville and nearby informal settlements like Nyallokong face hazardous living conditions, including contaminated water from industrial sources and chronic illnesses. Despite doctors' advice to stop using paraffin stoves due to Phumza's asthma, she still relies on outdoor fires for cooking.
Pregnant Ntsiki Dlomo and her partner Mahlomola Malako, who also moved to Sanco-Ville in 2014, share similar concerns. They lack running water, a flush toilet, and electricity, making everyday tasks challenging. The family worries about raising their daughter in these conditions, where bathing in cold water in winter becomes a daily struggle.
Some residents have been offered relocation to new informal settlements, but doubts persist about whether these moves will provide the promised basic services.
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