Crises of Joko Tea Squater Camp Continues

 CRISIS OF JOKO TEA SQUATTER CAMP

Joko tea squatter camp is situated in Bophelong near Golden Highwayroad,in Vaal Triangle in Gauteng Province, South africa. The place was named Joko tea becase there was a first supermarket were people of Bophelong were buying croceries named Joko Tea during 1940s. According to T.F Makume and Intombizodwa mtambo the current residents of Joko tea,we were the ex-residents of different plots,such as steel valley,Linkholm,louisrus,Ruitkuil,Rosashof,Suiferpan.We were relocated by Steelvalley and Linkholm saying  all community of the above mentioned plots must leave the area immediatly because it  belongs to Arcerlor Mittal ,they promised to buy land for people who where reallocated in the area called Agri Village and they are going give them R9000 to pay for temporarely accomodation until they build houses for them in Agri Village. 

Arcelor Mittal turned the above mentioned plots the nature reserve while people don’t have accommodationand they have no jobs,and they are sick of their underground water pollution and they air pollution since 1940s till 2000 when they evict them.The bad thing ,there are three families who refuse to move and still living in that polluted  land ,and Mittal say nothing. They only thing that Arcelormittal is doing to this peoiple is to harrase them and their live stock. ArcelorMittal put electricty fence arround the house of remaining families to stop them and their cattles from moving arround.I inteviewewd a grandmother of age 76 who is still waiting for the land and R9000 and now she is sick by pollution,and staying in an illegal place were they share 3 taps collecting water miles and still using pit toilet and they are so congested,and when it ruins ,spring water comes out fill up the shacks ,with dirty water commes from pit toilets and the chemicals from the surrounding coporates ,the water comes in their shacks.

The Joko tea community says the empty promises of Arcelor Mittal brings them the disaster,and now they suffers from the respiratory deseas ,sinusis and their feet swollen.The most complain from the womaman is that when they are pregnant they miscarriages also TB.is the major cause in their daily lifes ,because they live with this bacteries with them ,and the is no one who cares or take their crisis into conciderration u,even the councilor of Bophelong they say they don’t know them ,even the community do not know ward concilors.

And the kids when it rains they playing and swim in this dirty water or you can say sewerage discharge because of this overflowing of the pit toilets ,and the waste which are not been removed ,because is services rendered.community ask Government to assist their kids are dieng of illegal place.