Hlobane Hostel residents appeal for better living conditions
Residents of Hlobane Hostel near Vryheid say it's one of the most neglected hostels in the province.
The hostel, an old mine compound, is run down with no electricity and residents use silt that's been left over from coal mining to light fires for cooking and to keep warm.
They say this also contains manganese and poses a health risk, especially for children.
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Speaking to Newswatch, a says they don't a choice but to continue using it.
"It's puzzling that when we ask for help - they tell us government doesn't know or recognise this place. When it's elections - they know how to walk in here to campaign. You can see someone outside through the cracked walls. We have no toilets. This silt we use eats through iron, imagine what it's doing to our lungs," she said.
