AFTER a 30 year long wait, 87-year-old Florence Majola, who lost all her belongings when a fire ravaged her home in Ladysmith, was finally issued with her smart identity card.
The Merebank pensioner received assistance from the Department of Home Affairs after the family who housed her when she returned to Merebank to seek work after the fire destroyed all her belongings in 1994, contacted community leaders.
ALSO READ: Merebank pensioner suffers second degree burns in freak accident
The mother of four stayed alone in a one-bedroom informal home and after returning home after visiting a friend, found her shack in ashes.
“There was nothing left for me in Ladysmith as everything I had owned was destroyed in the fire. My children were married. I was unable to locate them after the fire occurred. The day after the fire, I took a bus to Merebank as I had worked for people as a domestic worker in the area before.
“One of my previous employers housed me for a while, but a few weeks later, when they relocated, I became homeless again. The niece of Nishi Dupraj, who I have been living with for the past 30 years, saw me standing at the side of the road with the little belongings I had. When Nishi came to check on me and I told her about what had happened, she picked up my bag and took me to her home,” said Florence.
For the past 30 years, Nishi had been taking care of Florence as if she was her own mother and made numerous trips to the Department of Home Affairs, but received no assistance.
Nishi said, “We were told that we needed to go to Ladysmith in order for Florence to get an ID. We did not go due to not having enough finances to get there. It was when community activist, Yusuf Vawda, stepped in that we received assistance from an official.”
ALSO READ: South Durban community role-players share their hopes and plans for the new year
Vawda said he transported Florence to the Umgeni Road Home Affairs where they took her fingerprints, more than a year ago.
“The second process, where tracing and identifying of the person was concluded, Florence was then able to apply for a new document. Without an ID, she was unable to get vaccinated during the Covid-19 pandemic or receive any grants to assist her.
“She was also unable to vote, open accounts, get medical treatment or travel to other provinces without an ID. If she had to unfortunately die, it will not even had been possible for us to give her a dignified funeral.
“I would like to thank Nontokozo Mthethwa, Tersia Smith and Precious Mkhohlwa from the Department of Home Affairs for assisting,” Vawda said.
For more Southlands Sun news, follow us on Facebook or Twitter. You can also follow us on Instagram.
