A family of nineteen from Seabe Village in Dr JS Moroka Local Municipality, Mpumalanga will enjoy this year’s Christmas in a decent and habitable structure. This follows MEC for Human Settlements, Mr. Speed Mashilo’s recent handover of a newly built house to the Nkuna family. Their house was ravaged by a storm in 2022 living them living in dire state after the house was covered by a makeshift rooftop. Upon learning of the family’s plight, Mashilo mobilised sponsors for intervention by constructing the house and donating furniture for the family. This sponsorship came as a necessity as the family had already benefited from the housing system and it could not benefit twice.
It is without a doubt that this family will be living a more dignified and normal life henceforth. “As the Department, our responsibility is to ensure that people are well settled in sustainable manner. Today I am happy that local business people donated this house”, charged Mashilo. He further expounded that the old house was roofed with asbestos and the Department is planning to eradicate all houses delivered by government roofed with asbestos, as it poses a health hazard. The province has over 20 000 houses roofed with asbestos and R50 million has been set aside to commence with the assessment and subsequent removal of 1000 roofed asbestos houses for the financial year 2023/24.
Receiving and appreciating the house, Ms Joyce Nkuna (58) says the family now has enough reasons to celebrate this gesture from government and private sector. “I am grateful to the MEC and Mr Mkansi for affording me shelter as I had long lost hope in our situation”, cherished mother of the family, Ms Nkuna. She went on to say that the old damaged house was also small and could not accommodate everyone. To provide for her family, Ms Nkuna relies on various government grants received by some few of the family members.
The delivery of the house was made possible by few service providers who rescued their plight at the best of MEC Mashilo. Local contractor, Mr. Glen Mkansi from Tekani Construction felt morally bound to give back to people of his community. “The living conditions of the family touched me and I had to build this family a house. As business we had to respond to the humanitarian call by the MEC and provide a better home for this family”, said Mkansi. At the handover, local leaders were urged to play a critical role in ensuring that needy households are prioritised. A similar gesture was witnessed recently when a contractor helped complete a a house to another destitute family at Watervaal, near Siyabuswa.
ISSUED BY THE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTORATE
MPUMALANGA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
CONTACT: FREDDY NGOBE – 013 766 6014 / 082 859 4630/ flngobe@mpg.gov.za