The first lady provides shelter to Mpumalanga's poor

20 April 2010

The first lady, Mrs Nompumelelo “MaNtuli” Zuma will visit the Mpumalanga Province this coming Friday, 23 April to hand-over government low cost houses to poverty stricken families at KaMdladla in Nkomazi Local Municipality.

The first lady was deeply touched by Ms Shirley Shabangu, who was severely burnt and lived in a shack at KaNyamazane area. The first lady then requested the province, last year 2009 to build a house for the woman. When the Department of Human Settlements was busy with the construction of Ms Shabangu’s house, seven requests of the same nature emerged. These included a blind old woman at Zwelitsha (Mbombela), an old woman at KaMdladla village, four families at Tekwane North (including a child headed household) and old woman from Mozambique with four grandchildren. A good Samaritan built a two roomed house for the latter family.

The first lady’s initiative is in line with one of the key priorities of building cohesive, caring and sustainable communities in Mpumalanga. In his state of the province address, Premier David Mabuza committed his government to finish all 4 132 incomplete houses by the end of the 2008/09 financial year. The Premier also called all the people of Mpumalanga to work together to create more houses for the needy and fight poverty. 

The first lady will start handing over the houses at Tekwane North (special houses projects at 08h00 and thereafter leave for the main event at KaMdladla village, Nkomazi Municipality (Majestic Rival Church) which starts at 12h00. Premier David Mabuza, MEC for Human Settlements, Madala Masuku, mayors, councillors and senior government managers are expected to attend. 

The media is invited 

Enquiries:

Mokope Taiwe
Cell: 082 802 8460
Freddy Ngobe
Cell: 082 859 4630

Issued by Office of the Premier, Mpumalanga Provincial Government