Ms Lillian Ngwenya is still waiting for her low-cost house after being promised one by Msukaligwa Municipality.
The grandmother of three, along with her community leaders, approached the municipality and appealed for a low-cost house as her living conditions are not suitable for an elderly with a wheelchair-bound grandchild.
According to Ms Ngwenya, she was promised a house by 25 December 2018 and to this day, she is still waiting and has even given up hope of ever being helped.
The 65-year-old pensioner lives in a debilitated two-roomed log house in Ethembeni Informal Settlement in Wesselton with her three orphaned grandchildren.
As previously reported in the Highvelder, 15 July 2018, Ngwenya family living in abject poverty in Ethembeni Informal Settlement, the grandmother has to make do with only the social grant money that she and her 25-year-old grandson, who is living with a disability, receive to survive the month.
She relies on neighbours for their daily needs as she is also physically struggling because of knee problems.
Lindokuhle Ngwenya has special needs and Ms Ngwenya does everything for him and the other two grandchildren, who are still in school.
Lindokuhle is bedridden and has been confined to a bed since birth and no diagnoses has been forthcoming as to what is wrong with him.
It is highly unlikely that he will be diagnosed soon as there is no money for healthcare or transport to visit a public healthcare facility.
Also read:
https://highvelder.co.za/65876/lindokuhle-ngwenya-gets-wheelchair/
Due to a lack of funds, Ms Ngwenya uses a cloth to use as makeshift diapers so Lindokuhle does not soil himself.
After the article of the Ngwenya family was published in the Highvelder, the community came out in support, donating groceries and household items and the Walk to Emmaus Group handed over a wheelchair for Lindokuhle.
However, when the newspaper visited the family on Tuesday, 12 February, Ms Ngwenya said that was the end of it.
“We still living in the same conditions as before besides the fact that Lindokuhle can now move around with his wheelchair,” Ms Ngwenya said. Summers are very problematic for the Ngwenya family, with their small structure not able to withstand the rain and it was the case again recently when the house was flooded.
The strong winds and rain blew away a makeshift wall of the structure, prompting community members to come to the rescue in the pouring rain.
In all the chaos, Lindokuhle sprained his hand.
A house would be a welcome relief to the family but with their application for an RDP stalled, Ms Ngwenya is at her wit’s end.
When the newspaper enquired at the municipality over what has halted Ms Ngwenya’s application, the municipality said Ms Ngwenya’s application was submitted to the
Provincial Department Human Settlements (DHS) and she was indeed approved for a low-cost house in Wesselton, Ext 7.
“However, on closer inspection of the site, it was discovered that the site had no suitable engineering services and it just falls outside of the township establishment, and thus
Ms Ngwenya was transferred to an alternative site which is being serviced by a contractor appointed by the DHS,” Mr Mandla Zwane, municipality spokesman, said.
Mr Zwane further added that as soon as the site is serviced, then the building contractor will be able begin with the construction of the house.
Also read the original story here:
https://highvelder.co.za/65706/ngwenya-family-living-in-abject-poverty-in-ethembeni-informal-settlement/
