"WHERE IS MY RDP HOUSE?" ASKS RESIDENT.

Richard Mdluli, Dorothy Maleka and their family outside their nine year old shack.

HOPE MOTAU

A family of six from Mabopane Block V have been staying in a single shack for about a decade. The family consisting of two parents, three children and a grandchild have been staying in the shack since 2004 and they said that they have applied for an RDP house in 2005 together with residents who now have houses.

 Residents in the area have received their RDP houses but the Mdluli family has to date not received their RDP house.  Father of the family Richard Mdluli, feels that democracy and freedom are meaningless to his family since they have not received the fruits of democracy.

"I did not even bother to celebrate Freedom Day, because I have no logical reason to celebrate since my life has not been changed by democracy," he said.

Mdluli, who is employed at a local butchery, said that his salary was not enough to afford a house. "The money I receive is for looking after my family," said Mdluli.  The family depends on social grants as an extra source of money that they use to support their children.

The unemployed mother of the family, Dorothy Maleka, told Record having a house would change their lives as they have endured sleeping uncomfortably for quite some time. "What I really need in my life is a RDP house, because we cannot afford to live in this situation. It is really difficult for us to stay in a single shack, especially when it is time to sleep," said Maleka.

The Mdluli family outside their only house at Block V, known as Odi, Mabopane.

The family described their situation as tragic and one that cannot be tolerated. They said that their shack does not have enough room for a family of six members.  The emotional and disappointed Maleka said that she wondered if she would have a RDP house, after waiting for so many years.

The Tshwane Metro Housing Department said that they have no knowledge of the family, and the RDP houses that were allocated and built at Block V, were equivalent to the number of the shacks built in the area.  According to Tshwane Metro’s Housing Department there was no application file for RDP Houses under the family’s nameon their system.

Record's interaction with the ward 22 councillor, Kefilwe Motsepe, was unsuccessful because she did not give Record a chance to talk to her. Motsepe ended-up hanging Record’s calls to avoid further questioning about the family’s situation. The shack has prepaid electricity that was installed before the RDP houses were built, but among the family’s concerns were the water and sanitation infrastructure.

 “We do not have water and sanitation and we depend on asking for water from our neighbour, who has been helpful to us. We also dug a toilet in our yard,” said Maleka. Mdluli and Maleka said that they did not apply for water, since they did not have money to pay the said amount. Odi Water Service said that the family needs to pay R2000 for a water installation.