Families live with rubbish and rats in Joburg stadium

Hundreds of displaced residents are living in unsanitary conditions in and around Wembley Stadium, a Johannesburg stadium that was originally designated for temporary emergency accommodation during the 2016 evictions and fires. Despite the initial promise of six months of temporary housing, residents have been stuck for years, with no signs of being moved to permanent housing.

Conditions at Wembley have deteriorated, with piles of rubbish, rat infestations, graffiti-covered walls, and reports of drug use and violence. Ethel Musosoza, one of the approximately 350 residents, describes the living conditions as unsafe and oppressive, particularly for women. The Johannesburg City Council has no plan to relocate the residents, despite the property's failure to meet basic standards of living and the lack of funding for TEA facilities.

The city has also failed to maintain the TEA sites, leaving residents to fend for themselves. The Khampepe Commission of Inquiry into the Usindiso fire highlighted the shortage of housing as a contributing factor to the prolonged stay in TEA. Experts argue that TEA should provide dignity, privacy, and stable conditions, but instead, it has become a permanent solution for many residents.