An Ext 4 Rooikoppen is furious at the Lekwa Municipality for failing to attend to her flooded house for more than 10 years.
Gogo Eslina Shabangu (68) reported the matter to the municipality.
“They would come and check and say they will sort it out, but nothing ever materialised,” she said.
She shares the six-room-shack with her husband, Mr Mmeli Tshwala, and their grandson, Mr Msontosinga Thabede.
According to her, she has to wear gumboots to enter a room.
She also said that more often than not excretion also floods her house.
“Altogether 20 sheep have died in my yard because of the sewage.”
She applied for a RDP house, but only her neighbours received housing.
She was then informed by her ward councillor, Mr Manqoba Sibanyoni, that her application had been approved, but only to hear a few days later that her application had expired, with no reason given.
When Mr Thabede went to enquire at the municipality, he was informed that RDP housing does not expire.
The family said they put the sole blame on Lekwa as their councillor had done all he could and more to help them.
Mr Thabede made numerous unsuccessful calls to Mr Dumisani Hadebe, Department of Human Settlements, and then contacted the Department of Human Settlements in Mbombela (Nelspruit).
The family was informed that RDP-housing does not expire and that there’s no record of Gogo Shabangu’s application.
The Standerton Advertiser sent a list of questions to Ms Thobeka Mtshiselwa, communications manager of the municipality, on 18 October, but no response was received at the time of going to press.
