The Nyandeni Local Municipality has handed over a newly built two-roomed flat to Matshaka Notheza (78), of Zinduneni Administrative Area, which falls under Ward 19 of the local municipality, as part of its interventions to assist indigent citizens without decent shelter.
The house was officially handed over on September 1 and formed part of the municipality’s programmes of marking the end of August, also dubbed Women’s Month.
“The building of the house was funded by the Nyandeni Local Municipality, as part of our pilot programme of assisting indigent households with needs that go beyond the basic assistance, such as free electricity, that we normally extend to indigent citizens,” said municipal spokesperson, Ncebakazi Kolwane-Simanga.
Kolwane-Simanga further described the situation of the beneficiary as very bad, as she previously lived in a small one-roomed mud structure that had one side destroyed and Notheza had used corrugated iron sheets to close it.
The municipality further revealed that another house would be built and handed over to an identified beneficiary in Ward 4 of the municipality, during the current 2021/2022 financial year.
Notheza’s poor living conditions were brought to light by her ward councillor in October last year, who identified her as one of the citizens to benefit from Nyandeni Local Municipality’s pilot intervention programme of two-roomed flats that were planned to be built during the previous 2020/2021 municipal financial year.
The house that was handed over to Notheza is fenced, electrified, tiled, with a ceiling, as well as 5 000-litre capacity water tank.
The municipality spent over R150 000 to cover construction, fencing and purchasing of the water tank for “Gogo” Notheza.
