Hopeless family pleads proper shelter
Ga-Molepane
Hopeless family of two in Ga-Molepane under Makhuduthamaga Local Municipality (MLM) is pleading with the public, politicians and entrepreneurs to build them a proper house to restore their dignity.
A pensioner Frans Ramaepadi (80) lives with his unemployed grandchild, Alec Mashilo in a one roomed house that leaks during rainy seasons.
According to Mashilo, two years ago the government provided them with a shack as a means of “disaster management”, and later constructed a foundation on which an RDP house was to be built.
The state in which the shack was when it was handed to them was not conducive for living, but the Ramaepadi family had no problem since they thought that it was temporary until they get a new RDP house.
“The RDP house is currently incomplete, and when we ask why? We are told that the contractor was paid to complete it, and we should enquire with him on why the house was not complete” said Mashilo.
“We attempted to engage with the leadership of the local municipality several times and they said they will contact the contractor, but nothing has materialised since,” added Mashilo.
He said they even handed over a memorandum of demand to the municipality pleading that they treat this issue with the seriousness it deserves.
Alec said his grandfather called him after a heavy rain last week. “When I arrived I nearly cried because water was all over the shack. It was a disaster. When you are outside you can see what is inside and when you are inside you clearly see outside, and I don’t mean through the windows, I mean through the walls”.
Mashilo blamed the government for infringing the constitutional rights of the Ramaepadi family.
Adding that prior to the elections, the ruling party members once came to inspect the situations, and promised to do something about it, but to this day nothing has happened.
“We are pleading with everyone who can help in building us a proper shelter, to come forward and assist us.”
In 2020, More than 200 RDP houses were left incomplete by the Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs (Coghsta) in Sekhukhune. During the same year MEC Basikopo Makamu promised that all incomplete RDPS were to be finalised.
