Thembelihle, meaning “place of hope”, is an informal settlement located just south-west of Johannesburg, bordering Lenasia Extensions 9, 10 and 14, about 30 km from the city centre.
Established in the mid-1980s by rural migrants and factory workers seeking opportunities closer to the city, today it is home to thousands of families. But for many residents, the hope promised by its name feels painfully out of reach.
Community leader Simphiwe Zwane, paints a grim picture: “We live with inadequate access to water, no proper sanitation, no proper housing and unemployment that fuels crime. Women risk infections from these VIP toilets, and even those are not properly maintained. What we want is clear- formalise Thembelihle, upgrade it in-situ, and give us a police station. We need dignity, not excuses.”
Despite these pressing needs, Johannesburg MMC for Human Settlements, Mlungisi Mabaso, recently sparked outrage after saying that informal settlements “largely occupied by foreign nationals” would not receive municipal services under his watch. “If it’s more than 10,000 foreign nationals, we take the money of South African taxpayers and go to service foreign nationals in informal settlements – I said that is not going to happen,” Mabaso stated in a viral video.
This stance has been widely condemned by civic organisations. The Civic Action for Democracy and Equality (CADE) called Mabaso’s comments unconstitutional and divisive. “These words are at odds with the Constitution and straight from the playbook of scapegoating vulnerable communities. Water, housing, sanitation and electricity are not privileges – they are basic rights. Denying services to whole communities strips them of dignity and safety. Human rights are not conditional. The real crisis lies in corruption and failed governance, not migrants,” CADE declared in a statement.
Zwane agrees, warning against the dangerous narrative of blaming migrants for systemic failures: “We are not in charge of borders. Why should the poor carry this blame? Our enemy is not immigrants – it’s corruption and government failure. We cannot afford xenophobia.”
As frustration grows, calls are mounting for Mabaso to apologise or step down if he cannot uphold constitutional values. Meanwhile, Thembelihle’s residents continue to demand formalisation, in-situ upgrading and equal access to basic services – proof that hope still lives here, even when promises are broken.
Images: Simphiwe Zwane
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