Residents of Qwaqwa demand better

By Emily Setona

QWAQWA – A group of residents from Selection Park in Phuthaditjhaba have decided to come together to address issues like safety and security, their environment and general wellbeing in the troubled community where they live.

As residents of Selection Park mulled over the serious service delivery issues that plague their community, a handful of them decided to join the International Rotary Club that will help them to realize their dreams to uplift and improve their living conditions not just for Selection Park but for Phuthaditjhaba at large and perhaps Qwaqwa as a whole.

They said this during a meeting that was held at a local lodge on October 6 to introduce the executive committee members and to open doors for prospective members.

The president of this club Lefa Ralethohloane addressed those attending the meeting and said.

“We are looking forward to making a change in our community, I am grateful to say that this is not my brainchild, but I was groomed for this position. Selection Park is my home; I grew up here and most of these elderly people know me and witnessed me growing up before their eyes. The focus of the founders of this club has been on safety and security because our community experiences a lot of burglaries and other criminal activities. We are tired of hearing about empty promises from our municipality because indeed many promises that were made have not been fulfilled.”

According to Yvonne Tladi who is a member of the club, the purpose of this meeting was to share the dream of the Rotary Club in Phuthaditjhaba with new members.

“The Rotary Club is something so interesting, it is a club where women and men who have the same mindset of organizing their communities come together and become part of this and come up with ideas to ensure that their communities become better. It is an international organisation that is found throughout the world that helps people like us to be part of it and improve our communities” Tladi said.

Residents of Selection Park and other areas during a Rotary Club Phuthaditjhaba meeting.

For her part Mamahase Mosheshe said that the objective of this club is to change the situation in Qwaqwa.

“The situation in Qwaqwa is deteriorating, or it has deteriorated. To an extent that we drive over rivers to get into our yards and sometimes before we even sleep, you have nightmares, have I locked, is the alarm on? We don’t all have the same security measures. So, the situation is in such a way that sometimes when you are communicating with your neighbour you fear that one day someone will enter your house and ask you to hand over the bed, or your main bedroom because they feel like they have a right to be there.

“We thought that because we are residents of Qwaqwa and by virtue of being here we don’t want to go anywhere, we are Qwaqwa residents. We decided, let’s not wait for anyone to change our situation, lets see how best we can change the situation for our comfort, for our safety and even for our entertainment for that matter,” Mosheshe said.