From a tent to a corrugated shelter

NKOMAZI – “Being moved from a tent shelter into a corrugated shelter does not qualify as a proper house, but a spit on the face of the needy, who are dependent of government’s service.”

The statement by the provincial Congress of the People (COPE) comes after a family of seven -Sihlangu family- in the area was affected by storms last year and as a result the move saw them settling in a tent for shelter.

According Ms Zale Madonsela, the party’s leader in the provice after an intervention by Cope in August this year, Sihlangu family was promised a proper house by the Department of Human Settlement after Nkomazi Local Municipality distanced itself from the family’s ordeal.

“At the time, the spokesperson for the Department of Human Settlement, Mr Freddy Ngobe had said that the Sihlangu family was one of 100 beneficiaries who were going to receive proper RDP houses soon in Nkomazi after their houses were destroyed by the floods in October last.”

She added that to date, the family has not received a proper house except for a corrugated shelter which was put up by the department.

Madonsela said that the shack was left incomplete because there was no proper flooring and no window glasses were provided which resulted in the family using card boxes.

“The tent that they lived in was moved after being promised yet again that the house would be built soon. The Congress of the People sent questions to the department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in August but there has not been any response up to so far.”

She added that it had been a year since the family has been waiting for a house.

“Soon the floods will begin again, does this mean the departments concerned are not worried about the livelihood of the community and how much more waiting should this family do, ” she asked.