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Mpumalanga Premier David Mabuza gives Ms Annah Marakalala R500 to buy food

Mpumalanga Premier David Mabuza sits outside the shack of Ms Annah Marakalala who is with three of her six children

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During his visit in a number of the villages in the Dr J S Moroka and Thembisile Hani municipalities yesterday, Mabuza discovered many elderly people who were disadvantaged from getting government houses.

He said it was unacceptable that the elderly people would even die before they could own their houses from the government they fought so hard for, because they do not have “connections” with government officials.

Most of the beneficiaries he identified were the elderly people whose shacks and mud-houses were sometimes surrounded by the government houses.

“I do not understand how come some destitute families are surrounded by RDP houses when their shacks could fall on them at any time. It raises many questions as to why they were left out when anybody can see that they deserved RDP houses.

“It looks like government houses have eyes. It is like they choose where they want to be built obviously at the expense of the deserving elderly impoverished people. Let us prioritise the deserving elderly instead of our friends and relatives,” said Mabuza.

The Premier visited villages such as Phake, Mammetlhake, Seabe, Kwaggafontein, Tweefontein, Matimpule, Bundu and Siyabuswa amongst others.

During his visits, he identified 32 households that would get sponsored houses from his legacy project to build houses for the poorest of the poor.

Supported by businessmen and private companies, the initiative started in June this year and more than 100 people have benefited so far. Yesterday cellphone giant, MTN, join the likes of Putco, Megabus, MCC Security and Projects and other businesses to assit Mabuza reach his goal.

MTN committed to build 20 houses which would be completed in a month's time.

At Matimpule near Marapyane, Mabuza met a blind and crippled 94-year old Ms Maria Santu who had lived in a shack for most of her life and committed to build a three bed-room house for her and her family.

He further organized a wheelchair, spectacles and a medical doctor to attend to her health before her house could be handed over to her.

While in Seabe, also near Marapyane, Mabuza did not believe his eyes when he found a child-headed family whose elder youngster, a 26-year Annah Marakalala had six children from five fathers with no house and food.

Premier gave her R500 for them to buy food as the kids were weak from hunger.

Marakalala said although five of her children received child-social grants from government, life was extremely difficult for them especially when it rained as they did not have a house and clothes.

"These people are exploiting poverty, it is here where we must come in as a provincial government and change their situation. As a government we are trying our best; however we are not fast enough mainly because of the lack of the resources," said mabuza.

"What I am doing here is but one creative way of intervening to speedily assist few citizens with the help of the kind business people. This initiative is gaining the momentum, many business people want to come on board because they see the need to improve the lives for the better.

“They understand that some social problems for our people are deep-seated and they come from far. I am doing this because I am driven by the desire to solve some problems for our people,” said Mabuza.

Comments

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Sat May 25 14:48:39 SAST 2013 ::

Oct 30, 2012

Arewanga

Atlease something better has been done.
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Oct 30, 2012

madimetsha

well done Premier, Putco has over 700 buses in Mpumalanga, its good they are assiting in terms of giving back.....

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While in Seabe, also near Marapyane, Mabuza did not believe his eyes when he found a child-headed family whose elder youngster, a 26-year Annah Marakalala had six children from five fathers with no house and food.

Premier gave her R500 for them to buy food as the kids were weak from hunger.

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is the child young at 26? come on Sowetan....
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Oct 30, 2012

madimetsha

she is busy pumping kids out but referd to as a kid???
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Oct 30, 2012

yusuf1234

well thts realy good news...
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Oct 30, 2012

Phathuza

Another publicity stunt from shower mans ally only R500 What about mismanagement of funds from Mbombela stadium
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Oct 30, 2012

SilentPartner

I thought that has been the practice...
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Oct 30, 2012

Papage

People in the rural areas used to build houses for themselves, proper strong mud houses that even harricane Cyndy could not destroy, what happened after 1994? people should have been encouraged to continue building those strong houses, now the Government will give you an RDP that will fall on you and your kids withing a month, please be careful, I dont trust ANC Government anymore. What I am encouraging is Communities should use stones to build their houses, like they did some years back, my Grand parents house build many years ago is still standing in Limpopo, it was build by stones and mud, each time i visit home, I sleep in there and I sleep well.
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Oct 30, 2012

hulas

Pr excise 500 is nothing.giving poor people hand outs and free houses is not a solution to solve the suffering our people.Government must create jobs for its citizens,if it cant then the least it can do is to create investor friendly environment to attract investors.
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Oct 30, 2012

golly459

While in Seabe, also near Marapyane, Mabuza did not believe his eyes when he found a child-headed family whose elder youngster, a 26-year Annah Marakalala had six children from five fathers with no house and food
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26 with six kids?? Why us poor people like to make things worse for us by producing more and more kids. you dont have shelter and food but only power for producing Bafana Bafana Team??
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Oct 30, 2012

DJ-Winner

Well, I blame Zuma for this. I blame ANC for this...

Where is racists and tribalists to whine? Where are you people?
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