COMMUNITY members in Uitenhage are frustrated about the multiple issues they are faced with, which includes the lack of opportunities for the youth, inadequate health care and the poor service delivery from police in the area.
According to Rosedale community member Elroy Ward, the youth in the area sit at street corners and shops owing to the lack of opportunities created for them.
He said they do not have funds to start their own businesses and when government or private institutions make programmes available for the youth, they face many difficulties getting into the programme.
In many instances, only two or three young adults from the area are accepted for the various programmes.
“It is time we stop fighting among one another and create opportunities for our communities especially for our youth because while we are doing nothing someone else creates jobs for them to sell drugs and the majority turn out as drug addicts. Let us stop blaming one another and start with the person in the mirror,” said Ward.
Health care in the area has also been a major concern for the community.
Ward, who works at Meondo Couriers at the National Health Laboratory Service, said Rosedale Clinic is the only clinic made available for people staying in Rosedale, Gamble, Lapland, Langa, Greenfields, Moegesukkel, Mandela and Santa Barbara.
Rosedale Clinic is severely understaffed and was originally built as a 24 hour clinic, which has never materialized.
Ward said the clinic closed for at least one week in May after a Covid-19 positive case was reported, and patients were diverted to Middle Street Clinic in Kabah.
“Patients that were on chronic medication, the elderly, physically disabled, new born babies, emergency cases and many more needed help, but they were expected to walk about 5km to the nearest clinic when Rosedale Clinic was closed and they were expected to queue outside from 04:00,” said Ward.
“This is a crisis that could have been avoided if there was a second clinic made available for the people in this area. It is unacceptable that there is only one clinic. A second clinic in the area is long overdue.”
To add further to the difficulties faced by many in the area, service delivery from the police has been a continuous problem.
According to Ward, police officers in the area are overwhelmed with approximately 300 dockets per member.
He said people in the area have called for assistance multiple times but had to wait for hours for a police officer to arrive.
Ward further said out of frustration, people in the community have asked him to contact the police station on their behalf in the hope that they might respond more quickly.
“It is not supposed to be this way. When it comes to law enforcement it must be the community that carries weight, not someone’s name or surname,” said Ward.
He said in the past few years they have lost many young lives in the area owing to gang related shootings and not once did the provincial or national government see fit to send a delegation.
Ward said earlier in the year at least four young men were killed a few hours apart as a result of gang violence in the area.
“I can go on for hours about the various challenges people in Uitenhage are faced with. Some of the other issues include housing, transport, sport, the difficulties the elderly have and so many other social ills that need to be addressed,” said Ward.
He said he hopes that soon the private and public sectors can work together in order to establish a plan for the community such as programmes, study courses and social groups for the elderly.
