‘Living a life on these crutches’
Everyday life is a continuous struggle for Shonisani Makhado (47), a disabled resident of Nzhelele village, outside Makhado
LIMPOPO –Â With the use of crutches to move himself from one place to another, Makhado, who stays alone at his home, has not choice but to go to the bush to relieve himself after years of applying to government to build him one.
“I have to crawl to the nearby bushes, while some people who are not even disabled have two toilets in their homes, built by government,” says Shonisani.
“Government advocates that all disabled citizens must be given free toilets and houses, but they’re still some citizens like me who are not enjoying those benefits. I have been applying to the government to build me a pit toilet for years, but with no success, they just keep on making empty promises all the times. I have since lost hope in the municipality, they know that I am disabled and I cannot build myself a toilet and a proper house, but they seem not to care about me,” says Shonisani.
Makhado relies on government grant sfor survival.
Contacted for comment, Makhado Municipality spokesperson, Louis Bobodi says they carry no knowledge of the lack of toilets in the area, but promised to investigate the matter.
