THE Aids pandemic has claimed the parents of 37,448 children in KwaZulu-Natal, leaving the children as orphans

More and more children in the province have become destitute and live in poverty.

Yesterday KwaZulu-Natal social development MEC Meshack Radebe visited 15-year-old twin brothers Thembinkosi and Bhenkinkosi Nduli, who had been living in a scrapped car for more than a year before a teacher realised something was wrong.

The boys' plight came to light on SABC's Touching Lives at the weekend.

The boys' neighbours in Inanda, north of Durban, ignored the siblings when they were forced to move into a run-down Toyota Cressida, donated by a mechanic, while their 20-year-old sister, Xolisile, slept in what remained of their home.

The twins were surprised when Radebe arrived at their car to announce that they would be moved to a safe house, while prominent businessmen Sydney Pandarum and Eric Sewja built a five-bedroom house for them.

Xolisile, a Grade 12 pupil, was at school writing an exam when Radebe arrived.

Radebe listened to the siblings' "painful" story, before giving them R1000 and promising them a better life.

The twins explained that they shared a small home with their grandfather and mother, Zodwa, when their father Jomo Ngcobo died in 2008.

When their grandfather and mother died early last year the siblings had to live alone in the house because no relatives came forward to help them. Their house later collapsed due to heavy rains.

The twins, who were in Grade 7, were forced to leave school and find jobs to feed themselves and to pay their sister's school fees.

"We were left with no option but to try anything so she could pass matric and start working to build a house for us."

Nkosinathi High School teacher Baby Mkhabela noticed something was amiss when Xolisile's marks dropped. She stepped in by providing the family with meals and later contacted SABC's Touching Lives to highlight their plight.

The teacher yesterday said she would now sleep well, knowing that the children would be taken care of.

The two boys will go back to school, while their sister will be given a bursary to study social work as per her dream.