Mtendere and its bleakness

Mtendere is one of the highest populated Townships in Southern Africa hardly an accolade to be proud of.

The township lacks basic human amenities and is really quite an eyesore with terrible roads, blocked toilets, flooded drainages and basically everything that can go wrong.

The residents of Mtendere are bitter and with just reason they feel neglected by successive Governments.

As Janet Banda puts it no major developmental projects have been put in place since Independence.

“The houses are so small, crowded and generally pathetic, the standard of living is low and I fail to understand why no one seems to care.”

Ms Banda says that many residents are generally disillusioned with promises of a better life by politicians.

Simon agrees with her sentiments saying that many are the times that people have come to Mtendere to campaign for their votes.

He likens the situation to popular musical group Impis song Basakala Nyongo which talks about how politicians make promises they cannot keep.

“We hope our new leaders will do something about the state of life in Mtendere.”

A walk along the streets of the Township will leave one holding their breath because of the smells from the full pit latrines.

In one yard that has four houses there is only one pit latrine which the tenants all scramble for every morning, cleaning the latrine is on a rota basis.

The disturbing part is that many yards like this are full of children who also use the loos sometimes leading to violent altercations between families.

Sampa Mwansa says “in our yard there is about seven tenants all of us have children, we have given ourselves rotas to clean the latrines, if you do not clean on your day it becomes a serious issue and fights have been known to happen.”

I found what is termed a bathroom next to the toilet in equally foul conditions.

How does one take a bath with the neighbour carrying out the call of nature next door considering that the two rooms are roofless?

Not even that, it is shameful that in this day and age people are still using pit latrines, shameful and unhealthy.

Lack of water for many households is also a major issue as many households have to trek to their neighbours houses to fetch water.

“We have to pay our neighbour for water, prices range from K10, 000 to K20, 000 and those that know they are the only ones with tap water in the road charge exorbitant amounts.” Sampa Mwansa says.

Another issue that Mtendere residents are constantly complaining about is the constant power outages for the few houses that have electricity.

James Manda complains that it is but enough that many residents do not have power supply but to constantly frustrate even those that have is unfair.

“Someone needs to address this issue as it is not only affecting our social life but also our economic set up.”

Life in the township is predictable, taverns on the corner, children playing in the streets, marketers selling pieces of chicken at K3000 on the stalls in the evening.

In a society where people live on less than a dollar a day this amount is a lot and in a world where the margin between the rich and the poor is yet to be bridged this is unfair.

 Sometimes in its simplicity, life can be joyous but if peppered with dirt and desperation nothing is as it seems.

Harold Mukupesa narrates how crime is rife in the township saying it is not safe to move at night,

“People are desperate and a desperate man is a dangerous one, for too long Mtendere residents have been ignored, our voices unheard. This cannot continue think of the many children growing up in these deplorable conditions.”

Behind Mahatma Ghandi basic school there is a play ground, where children and residents play soccer, netball and other games.

Some distance from this ground is a mountain of garbage, whose stench can be smelt from miles away and right next to it is a man tying charcoal in bags seemingly oblivious to the smell.

The children play, the man sews, people walk by everyone oblivious but it is there and one wonders when people will acknowledge its existence after all it is common knowledge that the pile keeps getting bigger.

Some eager school girls playing there reveal that it is the residents who throw dirt and garbage there at night.

“They have people who they pay to collect the garbage and throw it on the dumpsite.” They say shyly as if embarrassed on behalf of the perpetrators.

It is a sorry situation but one which the residents are quick to defend saying that that if the rubbish was picked the situation would not be so bad.

“The garbage is mounting because no one removes it from here and we cannot burn it because it is close to shops and the school. We have no choice but to throw it here, I mean we cannot keep it at our homes.”  Brenten Muyunda says.

But who should shoulder the blame for the mess.

The roads are terrible and one cannot help but fear for the vehicles using the roads.

At a bus stop some residents complain that Mtendere has been left out of the road makeovers which other areas have enjoyed.

A visibly emotional woman who gives her name as Bana Mwansa (Mwansas mother) says,

“Other areas like Kabwata, Libala and other areas now have better roads, but it is like we are an area that has been neglected for too long.”

The other residents agree with, many saying they want someone from the Government to take a tour of the area and see for themselves the complaints of the people.

Jema Sule says that he voted for change because he has lived in the area since he was born and nothing has changed.

“Should I die and leave my children in the same conditions?”

Many problems, many questions, many lack the hope and faith that things will improve.

Papa Jo sits on his veranda smoking and reminiscing to the sound of Peter Tosh singing, “a promise is a comfort to a fool,”

And as the music plays he resolves to never believe another word of better things, he resolutely looks at I and vows never to vote until roads are fixed and some semblance of humanity brought in.

Perhaps it is time someone showed the residents of Mtendere that they have not been forgotten in the development of this great nation of ours.