Noncedo Holiwe was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2008. Delays in accessing treatment resulted in surgery in 2015. She now lives with a permanent opening in her throat and goes for regular check-ups.
In frail health, Holiwe lives with her three children and a grandchild in a deteriorating two-roomed mud house in Mampondiseni village, Ngqeleni, near Mthatha. The structure is damp and cold. The windows are broken and some are covered with zinc sheets. The roof leaks and there are holes in the walls.
“I sometimes go live with relatives, especially when it is windy or rainy,” she says.
“I survive on a disability grant, and most of the money goes towards my medical needs. It is impossible for me to build a better house for myself.”
She applied for an RDP house through the Nyandeni Local Municipality in 2015. Her application was accompanied by a letter from her doctors supporting her request.
Holiwe says she has made numerous inquiries at the municipality over the past 11 years. “Every time I go to the municipal offices to ask about my house, I am told to continue waiting,” says Holiwe.
Eastern Cape Department of Human Settlements spokesperson Yanga Funani said Holiwe’s housing application was received, processed and approved in 2024.
Funani said Holiwe qualifies for a temporary structure and will be prioritised for immediate relief to receive one soon.
“The department has many urgent cases. However, budgetary constraints are limiting our ability to respond immediately,” said Funani.
When the Mampondiseni Phase 1 housing project was launched in 2024, Holiwe approached the ward committee. “I was told my name was not on the beneficiary list,” she said.
However, Nyandeni Local Municipality spokesperson Nolubabalo Mzini said Holiwe is listed as a beneficiary for the project.
“After assessment, the beneficiary was found not to be homeless but destitute, and an application for a temporary structure was submitted to the department,” said Mzini.
Real Deal Construction was appointed to build 45 houses as part of the project, but the company abandoned the site in December 2024, a few months after work began. It is unclear when the project will resume.
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