Builder comes to residents’ rescue
Businessman to build people of Tsaba free hall
AGOOD Samaritan has offered to build Tsaba Village residents in Tsholomnqa a community hall.
Owner of Ketina construction company, Warren Isaacs, volunteered to build the hall for them after coming across a Daily Dispatch article last month that highlighted the community’s frustration around the lack of such a facility.
They said they were tired of waiting for the Buffalo City Metro to build them one.
“Rural communities play an important part in building and preserving heritage and culture. I feel that assisting this community in practising their customs will give me a sense of purpose,” said Isaacs.
Isaacs, who divides his time travelling between East London and Johannesburg, says he is going to build the structure – and foot the bill himself.
“In my own capacity as director of Ketina, I will supply the community with all the building material and manage the project from start to finish.
“Helping people who are less fortunate gives me a sense of gratitude,” he said.
He told community members during his visit to the village earlier this week, that work on the hall would begin this month.
And more good news, is that residents will be employed during construction of the hall – and be paid a stipend.
“The manual labour will give the community members a sense of pride, ownership and purpose,” Isaacs said.
Community leader Bonisile Dyani said the community had struggled for many years without a community hall.
Often they were forced to hold funerals in the sun, wind and rain on an empty field.
They had decided to build a hall on their own in 2012, but at the halfway point, the building was destroyed by a hailstorm in the same year.
“I could not sleep after that moment when Warren said he would build us the community hall; the majority of the people in our village are filled with excitement. We are really touched to see that there will be change and dignity will be restored in our community,” Dyani said.
On Thursday, 90 community members gathered at half-built hall to hold weekly meeting.
A committee has also been established to oversee construction of the hall.
“We are also very excited that people from the community will be employed to build this hall. The young people will also finally have a place where they can hold extra mural activities,” Dyani said. their their