Granny s house dream deferred
PENSIONER Maria Matsieng could not hide her disappointment when she realised that she was not among those earmarked to receive a new home from President Jacob Zuma yesterday.
Matsieng, 60, is one of many homeless people on the government’s housing list who will have to exercise a little patience until such time she can have a roof over her head.
She struck a lone figure, with documents in her hand showing she applied for an RDP house in 2010.
Matsieng told Sowetan soon after Zuma had handed over houses to new owners in Danville, Pretoria, that she could find herself sleeping on the streets soon as she had been told to move out of an old age home because she lived with four grandchildren whom she cares for.
“I’m deeply hurt. I really want a house. I was told by a government official to come here today.
“I had hoped that I would be given keys to a new home, but I suppose it’s not happening today, ” she lamented.
But Zuma, who after his walkabout addressed some ANC members bussed in from areas around Pretoria, was quick to put people like Matsieng at ease. “You know we are dealing with the problems of this country, and we cannot solve them in a day, but surely we are going to solve them.”
Zuma visited the area to launch Phase One of the Danville project, consisting of 407 units, which integrates black and white families from Atteridgeville and Bethlehem. This was also his way of celebrating Nelson Mandela’s 95th birthday.
Zuma said he always felt happy when he dealt with people with genuine problems – not artificial ones. Like a magician, he pulled out an identity document from his pocket to surprise 50-year-old Johan Cloete, who has been living without one for many years.
Cloete, a cancer patient, was also happy that his sister, with whom he lives, also received a new house.
After his walkabout in the new neighbourhood, Zuma relayed his encounter with a woman who he said spoke her mind out, and commanded him to follow her to see her bathtub.
She asked him: “Do you think I can fit into this small bath? ” Zuma promised to get her a bigger bath.
Afterwards, he was invited for tea at another house by the new beneficiary.
The project follows Zuma’s visit to a white informal set- tlement at Hermanstad, also known as Bethlehem, in 2008 and again in 2010 – where he expressed shock after seeing the number of poor white people in the area.