The family of the late Mr Magubane, in Umnonjaneni Section, was humbled by the gesture of some members of the community when they offered their hands to help clean and renovate their house.
Several members of Umnonjaneni Section stood together and raised funds to buy paint and other household items, which were used to help clean and renovate the dilapidated house.
Ms Gugu Magubane, who is disabled, lives with her three children and her late sister’s three children in a house that has had no electricity. She has lived there for four years now.
“Life has never been easy since we had no electricity. We relied on a paraffin primus stove and candles,” said Ms Magubane.
Ms Magubane has been battling to re-activate her social disability grant that was stopped for quite some time.
“Seeing that I couldn’t get help, I eventually gave up with the run around when I tried to reactivate the grant at the Tembisa SASSA,” she said.
The family survives on the rental income received from a back room on the property.
Ms Magubane has also been relying on the help of her children and nieces.
Umnonjaneni community members started by cleaning the yard and eliminated some of the unused, broken households items.
They then fixed a leaking toilet and replaced door locks.
They also scrubbed the house floors, polished and painted the house walls.
Community representative, Mr Given Motaung said they were touched by the living conditions of the late Mr Magubane’s family.
“It was sad to enter the house. The house walls were dirty from the stove’s smoke. There was broken furniture and a ramshackle roof,” said Mr Motaung.
Mr Motaung said it is unacceptable for school children to use candles when they study at night while every South African has the right to access basic services.
“School children sometimes fall asleep while studying and with the candles on, anything can happen.
“We will still see if there are ways we can help them to get electricity,” said Mr Motaung.
He said they came across the family’s circumstances during a community meeting held recently.
“We will stand with the family and struggle with them. We are planning to meet with our local councillor about this matter and will take Ms Magubane’ disability crisis to the social workers,” said Mr Motaung.