Gogo’s wish for her birthday is an RDP house
“The shack I was staying in was old, and during rainy days I was forced to sleep in a soaking wet house.”
Tsakane – Gogo Aletta Radebe’s wish for her 96th birthday is to get an RDP house she was promised by the government 25 years ago.
She will be celebrating her 96th birthday on November 11, and her dream seems to be a pie in the sky.
Gogo Radebe was moved to Ngubeni Street, Extension Eight from Mandela Village in 1993 by the apartheid government.
When the democratic government took over, she, and other residents who were also moved then, were promised RDP houses.
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She received her title deed in 2002 and again she was promised a house by the then ward councillor.
Gogo says in 2011 she decided to build a two roomed house with palisade sheets after years of living in a shack.
“I decided to take a loan from a local builder who sells palisade sheets in the area to build me a two-roomed house.
“I had to pay him R300 a month from my pension grant for four years.
“The shack I was staying in was old, and during rainy days I was forced to sleep in a soaking wet house.
“I have lost all my furniture as a result,” she explains.
Gogo says she lost hope of receiving an RDP house from the government, like the people who were moved to the section also has.
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“I have seen people, old and young, receive houses around me.
“I have heard different promises from the political leaders and ward councillors, especially during the elections.
“Sometimes they even pick me up and take me to the voting station, promising to attend to my promise soon but nothing ever comes of it.
“All I want from my government is a house like all the citizens of this country,” she says.
In her response, Ward 85 councillor Anna Mnguni says they are aware of some of the residents in the area who didn’t receive their RDP houses as promised by the government.
“Some of the residents in that area received building material in 1994-95 but the contractors never pitched and some of it wore out.
“Other residents had to be deregistered because they were found to be registered in two sections in the area.
“I will ask the ward committee members to visit gogo to find out what are the challenges and see how we can solve the problem,” she says.
