Reality of accommodation shortage in Jwaneng
Lebogang Baingapi | Tuesday January 12, 2016 11:27
Many contractors flock to Jwaneng under Debswana sub-contracts and eventually secure accommodation for their employees at higher prices, leaving ordinary residents in the lurch. Jwaneng Mine is the largest employer in the town.
The Monitor visited one yard in Unit 6 where a three-bedroomed house has accommodated eight families which included minor children. The sitting room is divided into two with a board to accommodate two families, while patio was also secured as a room with a board covering both sides. A small kitchen which opens at the back was also turned into a room for another tenant. The movement in the house is unbearable and never mind the privacy. Shima Moabi, who occupied the patio revealed that accommodation in Jwaneng is a problem and he opted to live uncomfortably than to pay P3,500 for a servant’s quarters. He said he was paying P500 excluding water bills and living with such a large number of people is a challenge.
“You can imagine toilet use and sewerage if you live with close to 20 people in a house. It is unfortunate that some of the tenants are not cooperative in contributions for water bills,” he explained. He called on the government to regulate rentals to avoid a situation where citizens are robbed of their hard earned cash.
During the interview, a woman who only wanted to be identified as Kelly walked into the house with two minor school going kids.
“The house is small and doesn’t have a ceiling but the rent is high. You can imagine when you bath while your next door is cooking and the other one is trying to sleep in this heat wave,” she lamented. Kelly however remains hopeful for assistance from the Self Help Housing Agency (SHHA) in plot allocation. The Mokhomma-born said she applied for a plot in 2013 and she is optimistic that she will soon own a plot as the council has considered servicing land in Unit 9 and 10.
In another congested house in Unit 2, Outlwile Balekanye from Khonkhwa lives with five families in a two-bedroom house. Balekanye expressed fear that as the Debswana Cut 9 project approaches, they will be sent packing to make a way for companies which will pay higher prices. She said in the past she had to relocate to Sese, a village 10km from Jwaneng during the Cut 8 phase.
“I pay P700 for the room and in some units it is P1,000 for an electrified room which is expensive particularly for those not working for the mine”, she explained.
However one of the landlords, Thanaka Sebapi of Unit 2, put the blame on the council rates which are high and force them to increase the rent. She said renting is a business and it should be viewed like that because they charge looking at the market and inflation in the town.