‘Gogo’ has a grand dream
The grandmother lives in a tiny shack with her two young grandchildren.
IT’S more than 20 years into democracy, but owning a home remains a dream for some.
Francina van Schalkwyk (63) from Merlewood stays with her two grandchildren in a builder’s shed on a construction site with no water, no electricity and no sanitation.
Mrs van Schalkwyk is disabled and very sickly; her son and daughters are dead.
The shack in which she stays is leaking. She has two worn-out beds and a few old blankets which she shares with her grandchildren.
Speaking to the Herald, she said representatives from ‘several departments’ had visited her, but nothing had changed.
“I would like to own a proper house one day,” said Mrs van Schalkwyk.
Meanwhile, the DA has expressed its concern about the conditions in which people within Ray Nkonyeni Municipality are living, and questioning the role of the KZN MEC for housing, Ravi Pillay, who hails from Port Shepstone.
The party has brought the motion forward through the KZN legislature, saying it is ‘dismayed’ at the level of delivery of various RDP housing projects within the municipality.
According to the party’s spokesman, Dr Rishigen Viranna, several housing projects have stalled or are delayed while hundreds of people live in the most inhumane conditions in informal dwellings and back yards.
“The DA acknowledges that the housing department has tried to build houses, even winning awards for this – however there remain major problems with the rolling out of housing units across the province,”said Dr Viranna.
Projects mentioned by the DA include:
* Masinenge informal settlements project;
* Merlewood mixed housing project;
* Mkholombe informal settlement.
“All three of these projects have been delayed. In 22 years, only 69 of the 222 housing units at Merlewood have been completed. Those living in Mkholombe are still awaiting phase 2 of their local project after six years of promises.”
The DA said this was a shame, as the MEC drives past these communities every day on his way to work.
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