Ngangelizwe Township resident, Luyanda Ngalo, and his three younger siblings have left the inhumane conditions they previously lived under, for a newly built and fully furnished house, which was officially handed over to them by Eastern Cape Human Settlements MEC, Nonceba Kontsiwe, on July 4.
Ngalo, who lives with a disability, and his three siblings, used to live in a dilapidated flat which was also leaking, prior to the intervention by government to build them a new house.
The Ngalo family was one of the beneficiaries of the Ngangelizwe 141 Units housing project, whose scope includes construction of 141 units for destitute and vulnerable groups in society, who currently live in poor conditions.
A total of 72 units have been completed and handed over to beneficiaries in this project while the entire project is scheduled for completion in August.
The Ngalo family currently survives from the income of Luyanda’s sister, who is working under the Community Works Project and earning R780 and a child support grant.
Speaking during the handover, Kontsiwe said her department was doing everything in its power to address the housing backlog in the province.
“We are doing everything in our power to restore the dignity of our people but cannot reach everyone at once due to the limited budget we are allocated. It, therefore, becomes necessary that we prioritise the list of those in need according to their situations,” Kontsiwe said.
She further stressed that child-headed households, elderly people, people living with disabilities and military veterans were always prioritised in the lists of beneficiaries they received from local municipalities.
The contractor appointed by the provincial Department of Human Settlements, Hydraform SA, for the housing project donated furniture for a newly built and fully furnished house for the Ngalo siblings.
Ngangelizwe 141 housing units are built using alternative, eco-friendly technologies (clay and mortar).
