Choked residents' cry

STENCH: FREEFLOWING WASTE AT HELEN JOSEPH WOMEN'S HOSTEL IN ALEX

- Thando Nondywana

The Helen Joseph Women's Hostel in Alexandra, named after the struggle stalwart, stands as a towering, crumbling structure on 4th Avenue north of Johannesburg.

Residents struggle due to the overwhelming stench, water and sanitation infrastructure problems due to years of neglect.

Massive pools of sewage litter parts of the hostel and residents say the drainage system has been problematic since 2022.

Ntombi Ngwenya, who has lived on the lower floors of Block J2 for over two decades, said: "Things have only gotten worse. The blockages have increased, and now sewage flows from the upper floors into our homes.

"We've resorted to using sandbags to create barriers, but we can't open our doors or windows. Human waste stares at us daily, and the smell is unbearable. The only thing I do is put a towel at the door to block it," she said.