Abram “Mzambiya” Moletsane was presented with a newly built house as a gesture for Mandela day gift on July 18.
Ward 7 Clr Thabang Jiyane said house number 500 in Temong section was a dilapidated structure for over twenty years and a dumping place for the surrounding community.
“This residential space was causing serious concern to neighbours due to an exacerbated rodent problem that resulted because the house was not taken care of.
Over the years different political parties would come and clean the yard on Mandela day without getting to the root of the problem.
When I took over as the local councillor of Ward 7 in 2016, I devised a plan to renovate the structure.
I made proposals to thirty different companies including the EMM to assist in providing material to renovate Mzambiya’s house,” said Jiyane.
Jiyane said Ekurhuleni MMC for human settlement, Clr Lesiba Mpya, responded to the proposal, acknowledging receipt thereof.
“The MMC said he was talking to interested stakeholders to assist in making the project possible.
Mogadi a Nape business enterprise offered to help and they sent in their engineers to survey the place and they concluded that the structure was completely run down and it could not be renovated.
“The construction company opted to rebuild the house from scratch. The given schedule demanded that the house should be ready in two weeks’ time. Equipment was brought in, the house was demolished and rebuilt in two weeks within the set schedule,” said Jiyane.
The councillor said he is happy because they were able to provide proper shelter for Mzambiya and responded to the community’s call about the rodent problem resulting from the state of the house.
“This gesture does not end here. We are in talks with SASSA and the department of home affairs to sort out Mzambiya’s identity book so that he can receive a social grant as he is not employed at the moment.
We want to thank the community for being patient and lending a helping hand by letting contractors into their homes to source electricity to work at the house.
We cannot forget to thank Erin Clinic for taking the responsibility of looking after and improving Mzambiya’s health.
SASSA did a sterling job of providing Mzambiya with food parcels during this process.
Social development offered to sort out the indigent status of the beneficiary.
We will have a community meeting to ensure that every community member undertakes the responsibility of looking after the house and refrain from dumping refuse at the house,” said Jiyane.
Mzambiya said he was very happy for the gift.
“I don’t know what to say to the community of Tembisa.
Their goodwill shouldn’t end with me. They must help other people who are also in need,” said Mzambiya.
“We chose to present the house today specifically because the day is symbolic of what Tata Mandela stood for.
When you build a house for a family you strengthen the unity of the family because we are all judged on our social circumstances.
If we help in changing a family’s social circumstance it brings happiness to us. We hope to emulate the Mandela Day’s activities of goodwill throughout the 365 days of the year,” said Clr Lesiba Mpya.
