Elderly dead after mayor visits

MASHISHING – Comforting words from the mayor were not enough to keep Mr Lucas Ratau alive. A few days after Cllr Michael Ncongwane, the mayor of TCM, visited Ratau and his wife, Dina, to bring them the good news that they would soon receive a RDP house, Ratau sadly passed away.

Steelburger/Lydenburg News was informed about the elderly couple of Mashishing after a concerned Mr Enock Mosotho, contacted the paper to ask for help. “Every day I see this couple suffer. I have done what I could, but now I need the help of the community,” he said. According to Mosotho, the Ratau family has been living in Mashishing for over 20 years, but never received a RDP house after numerous applying attempts. “My heart is broken every time I see them and I don’t know why young people receive RDPs, but the elderly are forgotten,” he said.

Steelburger/Lydenburg News went to the family where they found Ratau in his bed. “My husband is not able to talk and he can’t even walk. He is just lying here,” Dina explained. He was using diapers at that stage and the family didn’t have access to a toilet, nor electricity. “It is very difficult for me take care of my husband in these conditions. I have applied for a RDP in 2006 and I am not sure why it was not granted. I suspect the reason for this was the fact that other people applied for RDPs before us perhaps,” she said.

After Steelburger/Lydenburg News visited the family, the paper approached the mayor and asked if he would be able to find his way to visit the family who lived in severe poverty. The mayor agreed and arrived at the house with mealie meal. He immediately went to the room where the old man was and tried to speak to him, but to no avail. They mayor asked if people from the home-based care visited the family from time to time but the family responded negatively. He promised to inform the social workers of their situation and left.

According to councillor Mr Markus Mashego, who accompanied the mayor, a RDP for the family was approved, but at that stage of the visit, it could not be proved. On Monday, Mashego confirmed the approval of the house, but could not state when the family would receive their house. “I can confirm that the application was successful, but province couldn’t confirm a date”, Mashego said.

There are currently five people living in the shack.