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RELIEVED: MCC Security and Projects director Moses Mahlangu has offered to build a fully furnished five-roomed house for Mmaphuti Mphiwe's family. PHOTO: ALFRED MOSELAKGOMO

A PRIVATE company providing security services for the Mpumalanga government has offered to build a house for a family of 10 crammed into a shack.

The company, MCC Security and Projects, has also committed to training two of the family's eldest daughters and employing them as security officers on one of their sites.

"We were really touched by their plight and could not sit back and watch them suffer," MCC director Moses Mahlangu said.

On April 30 Sowetan published an article that showed how the Mphiwe family of Lefiswane, outside Marapyane, were forced to share a one-roomed shack after their four-roomed house was destroyed by a freak storm.

The family said the house was destroyed on November 4 last year and all efforts to engage the local Dr JS Moroka municipality had failed.

After the Sowetan report the provincial human settlements department promised to repair the house, but this did not happen.

On Saturday Mahlangu visited the family and said helping the family was more urgent now that the winter chill has started to bite.

He told the relieved family his company would build a new four- to five-roomed house and that the construction of the house would begin in the next two weeks.

He also said the house would be completed over the next two months.

"I am here today not only to see for myself the extent of the damages caused by the storm, but also to see what else can be done to help your family lead a normal life again," Mahlangu told the Mphiwes.

The family said it would appreciate any kind of assistance from the businessman since no one in the family was employed and depended on the social grants of two children.

Mahlangu said in addition to building the house his company would train Mmaphuthi's two daughters, aged 18 and 22, and then employ them as security officers.

"The money they will earn as guards will definitely supplement the social grants the family relies on and I am optimistic that this will improve their terrible condition," Mahlangu said.

At present the family uses the shack as a dinning room, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. Local authorities normally provides temporary shelter such as tents for victims of natural disasters, but the Mphiwe family has not been fortunate.

The family has been told that their application for an RDP house was turned down because they do not qualify to benefit from the government's housing programme for the poor. - alfredm@sowetan.co.za

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Sun May 19 13:59:07 SAST 2013 ::

Jun 11, 2012

Pointman

Want to get housed - bu rn you shack and contact Sowet@n. Borrow some neighbours children to as props for R20.00 each to make your situation look desperate.
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Jun 11, 2012

TheGenius

Moses Mahlangu for President! Somakhawula, we will KI.LL for you!
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Jun 11, 2012

mambaaai

Do we have some kind of award in SA to acknowledge such acts, and a list of recipients of the award? (obviously this kind of award cannot go to governmental people who do this kind of thing giving to own families etc using state funds :p )
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Jun 11, 2012

flakes

Toyko is busy lobbying for president of doing his, ha!!
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Jun 11, 2012

flakes

Toyko is busy lobbying for president instead of doing his job
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Jun 11, 2012

Hoshpelepelewa26Zikuphi

Pointman
Want to get housed - bu rn you shack and contact Sowet@n. Borrow some neighbours children to as props for R20.00 each to make your situation look desperate.
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Ja neh, o cheseboy Nfana, that is way onang le kelello tse mdakaso, people a getting help and that's all you can say.
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Jun 11, 2012

JUBJUB

Thats good news for the family..
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Jun 11, 2012

TshamulungwiBoy

Mr. Mahlangu please keep your promise we dont want to read you next time bcz u failed to build them de house. God will reward you for the good work and SARS too. lol
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Jun 11, 2012

Mdav

Pointman.

You are a real SONAFABISH!
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Jun 11, 2012

Mr_President

Is this another publicity stunt? Why did Mahlangu pose for pictures for Sowetan if he really did it out of pettiness? Are you doing this to gain recognition or you doing it out of pure help? Just asking...

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