BY STAFF REPORTER
A dream for a better house in a shack seemed far-fetched for 26 year-old Thabisile Maoko from Arckonhoek in Bushbuckridge as she also had to make sure that her siblings have something to eat every day. “I did not think that we would one day move to a better house because of our situation,” she said. “Sometimes we would go to sleep on an empty stomach.” Unemployed Thabisile is one of the beneficiaries of the 200 houses subsidised by government through the Enhanced People’s Housing Process (ePHP) at various villages in the area. Her two siblings and children occupied a two roomed shack, in a dilapidated state, after their mother and father died in 2010 and 2012 respectively and also a situation which forced Thabisile to drop out of school.
Three of the children are at school going age and heavily rely on government sponsored social grants. Premier, Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane together with Human Settlements MEC, Mr Speed Mashilo on Friday, 06 August handed over the keys for their newly built house. “I am feeling much happy; this house will bring us dignity. It was not easy living in a shack that is in a bad condition. My children will be comfortable here and will now focus on their school work,” Thabisile said. “Their situation was habitable for anyone to live under therefore we saw a need to do something to change their life. What we have also incorporated into this programme was the backyard gardening. So we brought all the necessities to make sure that they start up their own food gardening so that we do away with the issues of malnutrition in our communities. So each time they need something to eat, they do not need to be stranded trying to hassle for food,” she said.
