Family’s new home celebrated by community
An elaborate house-handover ceremony on Thursday perfectly illustrated just how the lives of a poor family of the Sand River Trust had changed over the past year.
Surrounded by members of the local government, local and provincial police officers and community members in front of their own house, a far cry from the shack they had once lived in, the Ngwato family could only count their blessings and thanked those who had come through for them.
The family of nine used to live in a one-roomed shack in a dangerous and isolated spot, until one of the children’s conditions caught the eye of a Hazyview police officer. The officials had been visiting Nkambeni Primary School to raise awareness on drug abuse when a little boy stepped forward to recite a poem dedicated to the SAPS. “His appearance called for intervention and it was obvious that he was struggling,” said station commander, Lt Col Patrick Makamu.
The officers raised enough money to buy him a school uniform and visited his home to hand it over. After their visit and subsequent discovery that the family lived in dangerous conditions, they approached various stakeholders for help.
During this process, their shack was broken into and their possessions were stolen. A minor was also raped there, which made the intervention even more urgent.
Mr Ronny Matsane, a local with a big heart, heard about the family’s plight and volunteered to build them a house. A plan was drafted and it was built in a safer part of the Sand River Trust.
The family had to move in before it was completed due to safety concerns and the police, along with stakeholders such as Hosanna Church and the Greater Rape Intervention Programme, went to visit them on December 10 as part the of 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children campaign. Read about it here.
The group resolved to keep an eye on the situation and urged the community to provide donations to furnish the house. This call was answered by the Mpumalanga MEC for human settlements, Violet Siwela, who donated a truckload of furniture on behalf of her department during the official handover of the Ngwato home.
The provincial police brass band and traditional dancers performed during the handover ceremony, with some of the high-ranking officials showing off their dancing skills to the delight of the crowd.
The various officials also addressed the crowd urging police to step up their game and remain the protectors and helpers of the community. The underlying message was, just like the way police helped a family in trouble, they should keep up close ties with the community and strive to provide a safe, secure environment for all.
