MEC Nombulelo Mabandla will honour former state president Nelson Mandela by handing over two houses to rural poor families in Mthatha on Tuesday, 13 July 2010. The handovers is part of Mandela week activities where all South Africans, including government embark on various activities to change the lives of ordinary people in honour of Mandela.
Both beneficiaries live below the poverty line and could not afford to build their own homes and had been squatting with relatives and friends, but will now own their houses thanks to the sacrifices by Madiba. One of the beneficiaries a disabled woman had been living in a one roomed place with her three children before the intervention by the department.
The department utilised its housing alternative technology programme to build the houses. This programme is currently used in other parts of the OR Tambo region to address housing backlog and help poor, elderly and disabled families get houses immediately. Already 15 rural poor families are benefitting from this programme in the region.
These include families in Mqanduli, Flagstaff and Mthatha. Ten other applications are being processed for other vulnerable group that have been identified by the department and the local councillors in the region.
In South Africa from 12 to 18 of July has been declared Mandela Week as part of this programme the MEC for Human Settlements will be handing over housing Units to two rural families in the OR Tambo region. The MEC will hand over a house to Miss Hazel Qokoyi from Zimbane - Ntlekiseni and Matika families at Exhugwala village at Viedgesville.
The activities will take place on 13 July 2010.
Meanwhile, on 18 July 2010 the MEC for Human Settlements together with the other national Ministers, MECs, MPs, MPLs will participate in a built in Mvezo as part of 67 minutes spent in honour of Mandela.
President Jacob Zuma is also expected to be part of this built.
Enquiries:
Lwandile Sicwetsha
Cell: 071 671 1770 or 079 873 6400
Source: Department of Human Settlements, Eastern Cape Provincial Government (http://echousing.ecprov.gov.za/index.php)
