Durban — For years physically challenged Asanda Ngcemu, 26, from Lamontville, south of Durban, lived with his family in a dilapidated shack.
His sister, Tu Ngcemu, posted a video on social media asking for help from good Samaritans.
Asanda lives with his mother, sister and his aunt and struggled to get around in a wheelchair. The shack was built in a hilly area and it was difficult to get Asanda to the roadside when he needed to leave the shack.
Ngcemu said in 2017 the family were asked to move from the shack to make room for the building of RDP flats. The family were allegedly promised to be allocated to one of the flats.
Ngcemu said when the flats were handed over to beneficiaries in 2019, her family were not allocated one and the officials promised to investigate why. They had received no feedback.
After seeing the post, DA deputy provincial leader and eThekwini councillor, Sithembiso Ngema, was emotional. He spoke to his fellow councillor, Nicole Bollman. On Thursday they brought a new wheelchair, groceries, clothing and a laptop for the family.
Ngema is also from Lamontville.
The DA will take the matter to the City’s new Human Settlements head, Themba Mvubu, to investigate why the family were left out when the City was handing over RDP flats in the area.
Ngema said the family were removed in 2017 from their original shack and up until today no official from the city had bothered to find out why the family living with a person with disabilities was left out.
“We will never rest until this family are provided with a decent home. It is only heartless people who, when allocating houses here, had to sideline this family. We are calling on Human Settlements officials to come and ensure that they provide a decent house for this family,” said Ngema.
Bollman, who is also ward 35 councillor in uMhlanga, said she and Ngema also requested the laptop from the DA office for Asanda since they were informed that he was involved in Forex trading business.
Human Settlements department spokesperson Mlungisi Khumalo said they would speak to eThekwini municipality to ensure that they attended to the matter urgently
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Daily News