Gogo’s plea on Mandela Day
"We dread the summer rains because our house floods. My siblings and I can't even look for jobs to help our family, because we don't have ID books,"
Gogo Elidah Nkosi (71) made a plea for a decent house, better living conditions, ID books, birth certificates and education for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren on Mandela Day (Monday).
She made her request to Minister of Higher Education and Training Mr Blade Nzimande and officials of Msukaligwa Local Municipality during their visit to her mud house in Nyibe Section, where they brought her and her family groceries as part of Mandela Day activities.
Gogo Nkosi said she is agonised by being unable to get a house for herself and her family. She added that it had become exhausting to visit the municipal offices to apply for a house, as all the visits had been fruitless.
“It pains me that some of the people that submitted applications at the same time as I did have already moved into their RDP houses. Even people that applied after me have a decent roof over their heads, but my case has still not been attended to,”said the ailing gogo Nkosi.
Three of her grandchildren, aged between 28 and 34, do not have ID books and four of her great-grandchildren do not have birth certificates.
Her 34-year-old granddaughter, whose name is withheld, said she always experienced difficulties when applying for an ID book. As a result her three young children do not have birth certificates and they do not receive any grants.
Another granddaughter without an ID book explained how difficult life was for gogo and the family.
“We dread the summer rains because our house floods. My siblings and I can’t even look for jobs to help our family, because we don’t have ID books,” she said.
It also pains the family that they are unable to vote, because they do not have ID books.
Member of the Mayoral Committee Ms Mapulane Nkosi explained to Mr Nzimande that the municipality was aware of gogo Nkosi’s problem. She said the family lived on privately owned land and there were other system challenges the municipality was currently working on to resolve the problem. They were also looking into relocating her.
Mr Nzimande urged the municipality to resolve the problem speedily.
