Mpumalanga Premier Mandla Ndlovu donates houses to flood victims on Mandela Day

By Akani Nkuna

Mpumalanga Premier, Mandla Ndlovu, has, in his capacity as the Chairperson of the Mandla Ndlovu Foundation donated houses to flood victims on Mandela Day in Msholozi.

During the handover ceremony at one of the families on Saturday, Ndlovu told reporters that the foundation was delighted at all those who made the contribution toward building the house.

One of the house recipients, the Morgan family, who were victims of flooding earlier this year when 45-year-old Ester Mathenjwa, who was the breadwinner in the family, was swept away by floods, received a fully furnished 3-bedroom house.

The foundation has appealed for building infrastructure investment that addresses and adapts to climate change, ensuring that the building structures withstand all weather conditions, especially floods.

“During rainy seasons in Mpumalanga, we know that in certain areas, people are staying in flood areas. As such, when it is raining, houses are going to be washed away. We know if we do not have strong bridges, bridges are going to be washed away,” said Ndlovu.

“So we must start planning now, we are planning knowing that we are approaching rainy seasons. We know that in Mpumalanga during winter you expect veld fires, so we must plan. We are planning for all these disasters as a province.”

A member of the Morgan family told the reporters that he was very happy and said that his life and that of his family had changed for the better after the disaster that befell earlier in the year when the floods swept their house.

“My life has changed now that I have a proper family house, and I have a lot of children that is why I am so happy. And I will be respected by children now,” he said. The family has six children.

Mandla Ndlovu Foundation representative, Sibongile Mkani-Mpolweni, told Inside Metros that the foundation was involved with numerous community building initiatives, including the awarding to tertiary bursaries to deserving students and the donation of uniforms to pupils who lack across many of the Mpumalanga public schools.

She further outlined that the foundation facilitates community sports programmes through the donation of kits and equipment, emphasising that the foundation’s initiatives span across the calendar year and are not limited to Mandela Day.

One of the difference makers who was out on deploying their services to serve their community on Mandela Day is Ntswaki Tsotetsi, a property practitioner and agent in Medowadale, Ekurhuleni, who led a community initiative in Klopper Park cleaning the old and incomplete fire station in the area.

She said that the place had become notoriously dangerous as criminals use it as a hideout, and weeds have overgrown the walls of the unfinished structures, leading to reduced visibility.

“This place is a safety concern area, so we are cleaning out the trees so that it can be safe for our patrollers and the kids that are in the neighbourhood,” said Tsotetsi noting that this is the kind of service that Mandela Day calls for. 

INSIDE METROS