Tebogo Monama

Tebogo Monama

Thomas Baloyi of Germiston in the East Rand is ecstatic after receiving a cheque of R13050 from the Department of Justice.

Baloyi is one of the beneficiaries of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development's Operation Isondlo.

The operation focuses on maintenance issues that include tracing beneficiaries and paying out money due to them.

The money Baloyi received will be used to care for his late sister, Vuyelwa Mgqaza's, two children.

Mgqaza died in 2002 and her sons Bonginkosi, 13, and Sabelo, 6, have lived with Baloyi, who works as a handyman, ever since.

When the department found out that Mgqaza had died, they traced Baloyi, who is the children's guardian and gave him the money.

Baloyi said: "The boys have a lot of needs and sometimes I can't afford them. This money will help sort out their school fees."

Baloyi is among the seven people, who collectively received more than R300000 in maintenance funds, paid out to beneficiaries in Dobsonville, Soweto, last Friday.

Another beneficiary, Ntombentsha Sonmnqaba received R14750 from her ex-husband Albert, to whom she was married for 10 years and with whom she had four children.

"This money will be useful because I don't have a job."

Emily Dhlamini, the department's regional head, said it was important for her department to trace people who had not collected their maintenance money.