IN PICS: Inside the Madala Hostel where residents live in waste
Eyewitness News visited the historic hostel and captured its residents' struggle.
The Madala Hostel in Alexandra, Johannesburg. Photo: Sphamandla Dlamini/EWN
JOHANNESBURG - Residents of Madala Hostel in Alexandra are living in unsanitary conditions: open sewage, overcrowding, and a lack of basic amenities.
Constructed in 1971 during the apartheid era, it was originally designed to accommodate 5,000 male migrant workers from rural provinces such as KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, Limpopo, and the Free State, who came to Johannesburg seeking employment.
The constant flow of sewage at the hostel entrance not only stains the pavement but also reflects a deeper neglect. Photo: Sphamandla Dlamini/EWN
Outside the hostel, leaking sewage and scattered litter have transformed the entrance into an unofficial recycling zone. Photo: Sphamandla Dlamini/EWN
Sizwe Nxumalo, responsible for maintenance and cleaning at the hostel, says the constant sewage makes his efforts feel futile — ‘every time I clean, it’s like I haven’t done anything'. Photo: Sphamandla Dlamini/EWN
A street seller walks past the other side of the hostel, now turned into a dumping ground by residents — an everyday route shadowed by waste and survival. Photo: Sphamandla Dlamini/EWN
A room window patched with a political party board that reads "Herman 'Fix' Mashaba". Photo: Sphamandla Dlamini/EWN
A top view from a kitchen window reveals a heap of dumped waste — an unsettling sight in a building where residents still cook daily meals just steps away. Photo: Sphamandla Dlamini/EWN
Inside his room, Nkululeko Mlangeni from KwaZulu-Natal offers a glimpse of life in the hostel. He came to Johannesburg chasing job opportunities, but now shares a space that reflects the tough realities many residents face. Photo: Sphamandla Dlamini/EWN
From above, children play soccer near a stream of exposed sewage — a stark contrast between youthful joy and the unsafe conditions that surround them. Photo: Sphamandla Dlamini/EWN