Ahead of Polokwane ward vote, Juju Valley residents say they feel used

POLOKWANE - As voting begins on Wednesday for a hotly-contested seat in the Polokwane municipality, some residents of Juju Valley informal settlement feel they are being used as pawns in a game by political parties.
 
The informal settlement of over 1,000 people has been the focus of political party campaigns for Wednesday’s by-election. 

READ: ANC, SACP due to face off in hotly contested Polokwane by-election
 
Polokwane’s Ward 13 seat is up for grabs following the expulsion of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) councillor Mafiwa Leballo for not attending council meetings. 
 
“I come from Seshego zone one, if there is an open land we will go and occupy there with my branch, you must go and do the same where you come from.”
 
Legend has it these were the words by EFF leader, Julius Malema, ten years ago, which inspired the people of Seshego to occupy vacant privately owned land, which is now known as Juju Valley. 
 
Over the years, there have been several forced evictions in the area, despite promises from political parties that the settlement would be formalised. 
 
Resident Cedric Dikgale said he was tired of the empty promises.
 
“What’s putting us at a disadvantage is because we are not united as black people. One is going here and the other there. It’s not like before when we had one party that represented us; it was better, but now there are many parties, it’s the same people. It’s like they are playing games with us. That’s what I don’t understand.”
 
Residents said several informal settlement structures were not connected to electricity, while the communal taps regularly go dry.

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