Businessman keeps his promise
The family lost all their belongings including furniture. They have since been sheltered at Cathyville community hall and relying on donations for food and clothing.
Businessman Pule Shakoane does not make empty promises.
Pule, director for Mbombela Bricks and Sizampilo Projects, made a generous pledge to the Nkosi family on January 20 that his companies would build them a spacious house.
This was done during a sod-turning which was attended by the family members, Umjindi Municipality executive mayor Lazaros Mashaba, ward councillor for the area Mavi Hlophe, and other Councillors and Sanco members.
Now, almost three months later, a structure is standing firm in the Nkosi’s family yard at Dindela section in Emjindini.
But Thandekile Nkosi said as a family they still felt forgotten. “It is cold here at the hall where we are accommodated and we have no food. We feel isolated and our hopes is to have the house handed to us soon so that we can have a place to call a home,” she said.
The Nkosi’s old house, which accommodated 22 family members, was gutted by fire on December 31, 2014.
They lost all their belongings including furniture. They have since been sheltered at Cathyville community hall and relying on donations for food and clothing.
Pule said when he became aware of the Nkosi family’s dire circumstances, he put aside some profit and prioritised them.
“It was an emotional feeling when I looked at their condition. A family of over 20 members with some still breastfeeding housed at the community hall hurt me,” said Shakoane.
Mayor Mashaba said despite the family receiving a brand-new house, they would also be allocated a vacant residential stand so they could benefit from an RDP house. “Because the family has been living in overcrowded conditions, the council has taken a resolution to also allocate them a stand which will be prioritised on our next list of RDP house beneficiaries,” he said.
