Readers rally to aid mom and child with autism
CAPE TIMES readers have opened their hearts to assist the mother of a 10-year-old autistic boy, who is being evicted from her backyard one-room shack.
The provincial Human Settlements Department assured Noncedo Dubula earlier this week that a house would be built for her and her son, Somila, “in the foreseeable future”, while the provincial Social Development Department said it would find a way to assist Dubula.
Dubula’s story came to light this week when she told the Cape Times that she was desperately looking for a new home for her and her son, diagnosed with autism at the age of 3, because her landlord had given her until the end of February to vacate or risk having her one-room shack demolished.
Somila can’t talk, is hyperactive, breaks things, cries endlessly and is yet to attend a school. To calm him, Dubula has to drug Somila to make him fall asleep.
A reader Freek Vermeulen, a tourist from London in the UK, pledged to assist Dubula. “I understand her main problem at present is housing, and that she repeatedly has been evicted by landlords. I was wondering whether her problem might be solved by owning (rather than renting) a shack, whether that is possible at all, desirable, or how much one would cost,” said Vermeulen. He pledged to buy Dubula a Wendy house.
The Corruseal Group’s Alison Maclean said she was grateful to be able to assist Dubula. “I have a very eager donor wanting to offer assistance to Noncedo,” she said. When contacted, the potential donor pledged that she would contribute R4000 within the next few days and another R3000 for the next four months.
“The easy way is to assist financially,” said the donor.
Suzanne Levy from Boating World, without disclosing how much, said she would also contribute financially.
During a visit to Dubula, Ntomboxolo Makoba-Somdaka, spokesperson for Human Settlements MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela, said Dubula’s case had been verified. Her name appeared on the housing needs database and she would get a house.
Madikizela told Dubula he would persuade the Social Development Department to look into the matter and to act. He said the department’s officials, while waiting for the house, would intervene to see that Dubula and her son were not evicted from their current accommodation.