Woman asks for assistance with a stable home

‘Sometimes my six kids and I go to bed with empty stomachs’

August 3, 2021

Emmanuel N Mthimunye 1 minute read

Bathabile Simelani is an unemployed woman from Old Coronation in Extension 14 in eMalahleni. She has been struggling for years living in an unstable house with six children, depending on the social grant of only three children and food parcels from the community members.

“I started staying here in 2002, and I’m asking for help for assistance with a proper house for me and my children to stay in, as I cannot afford to build a house and the house we sleep in is unstable. When it rains, the house easily collapses, and after the rain I have to start all over again, and try to fix it,” said Bathabile.

She also added that she had applied for an RDP house while her husband was still alive, and he passed on before they could receive it, and when she went to ask about it, they told her that it was cancelled as the person registered had passed on.

“I applied again with my personal information, and I have been waiting for approval. It is hard fixing the house as I used to be helped by my husband, and with him no longer with us, it is a huge struggle,” she said.

Members of the EFF visited her on Tuesday, July 27 to see her living conditions and how she had been surviving and are asking community members to help with building materials to help build the woman a decent house.

“We came to assist this woman as we have seen her struggle for many years without assistance. We want to help build her a stable house so that she can be safe with the children as the house she currently lives in can collapse at any time, and we fear that worst things can happen if that happens while they are sleeping. We also plead with the community members to assist with anything they can to help this woman by calling me at 076 900 1480,” said Victor Madikane, EFF Ward 14 chairperson.

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