WeeklySA_AdminDIRE: The Eastern Cape villager fears she may be forced by authorities to pay for it and lose everything in the end…
By Siyabonga Kamnqa
Life is a daily struggle for survival for an Eastern Cape mentally-challenged mother who lives with her family under appalling conditions in a dilapidated mud house.
Ntombekhaya Ndaku (50) shares a tiny two-roomed dwelling with her three children, Nombulelo (20), Emihle (15), Siviwe (17) and grandson Ngcobo (12).
Last year, Weekly SA Mirror reported on the family’s dire situation which culminated in her being offered an RDP house by the provincial Human Settlements Department, but Ndaku has refused to leave the ramshackle home to move into it.
When the Weekly SA Mirror revisited her homestead in Mbekeni village in Ngcobo, we found her busy with household chores inside the collapsing structure, oblivious of her meagre existence.
Her eyes lit up when philanthropist Vince Loqo surprised her with a package of clothing items for her and the children, which had been donated by local charity organisations.
“May God bless you,” she said, holding her hands in her head and calling out to her grandson Ngcobo to come and collect his share.
Loqo, a local marathon runner who has been assisting the family, said it pained him to witness the family’s struggles.
“Despite the intervention by Social Development authorities, she still needs to be convinced to move into the RDP house. But, due to her mental condition, she flatly refuses to move into the RDP house as she believes she will be forced to pay a bond for it,” says Loqo.
“And, what is heartbreaking is that the children are drawn into all this. It is affecting them a lot and my wish is that psycho-social help can be intensified for the family.” Having matriculated last year, Ndaku’s eldest daughter Nombulelo, told Weekly SA Mirror that she had ambitions of studying further and becoming a teacher.
“My only hope is that a Good Samaritan can assist with making sure I realise that dream. The situation at home is dire and we are a laughing stock in the village,” she said.
Loqo has vowed to ensure that he secures employment for Nombulelo while he seeks funding for her tertiary studies.
