Couple refuse to demolish ‘eyesore’ home for president’s visit

AN ELDERLY couple who were apparently instructed to demolish their home in Doek Doek earlier this week as it was an “eyesore”, were later promised a new house by the time President Cyril Ramaphosa set foot in the city on January 18.

The couple’s home is situated across from the site where marquee tents were erected for yesterday’s sod-turning ceremony for the R1 billion housing project that will see the construction of 4 168 houses in Roodepan.

The family of nine, who make use of candles and cook their food on a wood fire, are however still waiting for the building materials to be delivered for their “new” home.

The plot has no ablution facilities.

Fanie Visser, 67, and his wife Nellie Frans, 61, stated that they had been living on the family plot for over half a century.

“We planted a vegetable garden and have chickens and doves. We sell the eggs and chickens and also run a plastic recycling project to supplement our pension grants,” said Frans.

Frans added that nine people shared the home in Doek Doek, including her sickly brother, children and grandchildren.

“Sol Plaatje housing officials told us to relocate to Jacksonville on January 15. They said that they did not want the president to see how we lived and wanted us to shift our home. I refused because my family would be crammed into a tiny space. My brother suffers from epileptic seizures and he was also not willing to move.”

Visser said that a delegation that included Sol Plaatje executive mayor Kagisho Sonyoni and the MEC for Co-operative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (Coghsta), Bentley Vass, suddenly arrived at their home on January 16 and reassured them that they no longer had to move.

“They said they would give us R26 000 worth of new zinc sheets so that we could rebuild our home and replace the rickety brick wall where fleas are breeding. I was very happy and grateful when they said they would build us a new house on our plot by Thursday, when the president was set to arrive in the city. They also offered us three sample houses at the R1 billion housing project.”

The promised building materials were, however, not delivered.

Meanwhile, the Seekoei, Jacobs, Harris and Kok families from Colville are still waiting for the houses that were promised to them following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s stopover at their home during the ANC’s 108th anniversary celebrations in 2020.

The Collen Mashawana Foundation and AfriBiz Investments offered to build the family six new houses after Ramaphosa expressed his shock over the family’s overcrowded living conditions.

At the time, 47 family members were sharing a three-bedroom house.

Michelle Muller this week indicated that the extended family had since expanded to around 120 members, while a family member was on the verge of giving birth.

“There are currently 52 people sharing the house in Colville as others have gone to live elsewhere. Everyone is silent over the six houses that were promised to us,” said Muller.

“Another election is upon us and there has been no further progress since the contractor vacated the site in Herlear due to non-payment in 2021. Every time we are offered another excuse. We may vote for former president Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe party - we heard that he is also going to build houses in Roodepan.”

Muller added that the walls of the house in Colville were left with gaping holes when renovation work was halted.

“We don’t mind moving into the new houses at the R1 billion housing development in Roodepan. We only need six houses as two family members will remain in the house in Colville.

“Only two family members were hired for the road revitalisation project in Epsilon Street while the rest of us are unemployed. If we are fortunate enough to receive a food parcel, we each have a crumb to share. The children often go to bed hungry at night. Nothing has come of promises of internships, stationery for the children or employment. A few family members have passed away while waiting for a new house.”

The project co-ordinator at the Collen Mashawana Foundation, Shayley Clark, indicated that the project had since been handed over to provincial government.

“Afribiz Invest and the Collen Mashawana Foundation are no longer involved in this case as the government has taken over managing and assisting the family.”

No response to media enquiries had been provided by Coghsta or Sol Plaatje Municipality at the time of publication.