OVER 2 000 CHILDREN SURVIVING ON ONE MEAL A DAY

MALKERNS – A community tells a different story in the fast-improving town of Malkerns.

The Mangozeni Township, nestled in this small town known for its vibrant pineapple farms and scenic landscapes, shows a picture of hardship, neglect and the daily struggle for survival. The township is home to over 2 000 children under nine and is facing a crisis that demands urgent attention from both local authorities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

As local Social Motivator Dumile Maphalala recorded, over 2 000 children depend on a soup kitchen meal for survival. Mangozeni is less than 600 square metres in size, but because of the situation, two soup kitchens, Great Commission and Malkerns Soup Kitchen, have set up base. The biggest struggle now is what to feed the hungry mouths.

Challenge

“The biggest challenge of Mangozeni is the frequent pregnancies. Most of these children stay with either one of their parents, and most are unemployed. “The only job for the residents is seasonal, which is working at Swazi Can during the citrus season,” Maphalala said. Mangozeni is characterised by its poor living conditions, where families grapple with extreme poverty and limited access to essential resources like electricity and water.

Water is available at E1 Lilangeni per 20 litres, but some households cannot afford that. For many residents, a daily meal is a luxury, while a mere E20 for bread is as scarce as water in the Kalahari Desert. The community’s reliance on these soup kitchens highlights the urgent need for food security and, most importantly, social support. Maphalala, a dedicated social motivator in the township, is vocal about the alarming issues facing the township. She points out that Mangozeni is grappling with a high rate of teenage pregnancies and a growing population.

The lack of employment opportunities in the area has created a desperate situation, leading many mothers to allegedly turn to sex work as a means of survival. With most jobs in the town tied to the seasonal demands of the pineapple farms, work is often irregular and insufficient to meet the needs of families. “This precarious economic situation leaves little room for parental engagement, further exacerbating the challenges faced by the children.

Exception

“The impact of poverty on child development is profound, and the children of Mangozeni are no exception,” Maphalala lamented. She continued that without proper care and supervision, these young lives are at risk of falling into cycles of neglect and deprivation. She added that as social workers, they are deeply concerned about the long-term implications of such neglect, which can hinder children’s physical, emotional and cognitive development. “One of the pressing issues facing Mangozeni is the lack of birth certificates for many children.

“The parents, mostly teenagers, do not understand that registration is a critical step in ensuring that children have access to essential services, such as education and healthcare,” she added. Visibly, the situation in Mangozeni is a small-scale, broader societal issue faced by many communities in the country. While the government has made strides in addressing poverty and improving social welfare, the challenges faced by the township residents highlight the need for more targeted interventions.

Collaborations between government agencies, NGOs and local communities is essential to create sustainable solutions. As social workers seek assistance from NGOs for food supplies, they also advocate for comprehensive programmes that address the root causes of poverty in the area.
This includes initiatives to empower women through skills training and access to employment opportunities. “By providing women with viable pathways to economic independence, the cycle of poverty can be broken, allowing them to better care for their children,” she said.

As the community of Mangozeni grapples with its challenges, society’s collective responsibility to uplift and support its most vulnerable members becomes ever more pressing. Maphalala added that the Malkerns Town Board needs to address the Mangozeni situation as it will hinder the town’s progress in development.

Assistance

Local authorities or the government must take action to address the issues, which include not only providing food assistance but also implementing programmes that promote education, health and child welfare. “By investing in the future of these children, the government can help ensure that they grow up in an environment that nurtures their potential instead of stifling it. Community leaders and residents of Mangozeni must also play an active role in advocating for change.”

She highlighted that even if the Malkerns Town Board is willing to help, it will be difficult because the real homeowners no longer live there, and only tenants are left. “Tenants do not understand the necessity of attending town board meetings,” she said. 

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