Community members step in

By Masilo Malakwane

QWAQWA – A  -57- year old mother of three  has  dodged status of being homeless thanks to the ‘Hae Ke Hae’ organisation of professionals from Matebeleng village who have built a three roomed house after her mud house collapsed in January after heavy rain fall.  

Unemployed Matshediso Tsotesi is too old to be employed while too young to receive government social grant because she has not yet reached qualifying age of 60. But thanks to Matebeleng community builder’s organisation who saw her plight and build her three roomed house ending her days of being homeless.

 Speaking to The Guard at the official opening of her newly build house on Saturday, 26 February,  Tsotetsi who  became  homeless on the 16 January , 2022 has this to say:

“I lost the battle trying to fix my  dilapidated mud house, following a devastating recent floods which saw many residents across eastern Free State lose a lot of their belongings. My  house was  leaking incessantly during heavy downpours and it eventually collapsed,” said Tsotetsi.

While waiting for her house, Tsotesi was temporarily staying at St John‘s church arranged by ‘Hae ke Hae,’ a community development organisation founded by professionals from Matebeleng village.

Conveying  her gratitude towards the ‘Hae ke Hae organisation for affording her family a temporary shelter and food at the St John’s church just next door; she said, “for years of what I refers to as unfulfilled government promises for an RDP house, today with the help of the kids from the village, I now own a house and will enjoy a peaceful night’s sleep for the first time in over a decade,” sighed Tsotetsi. 

Maluti-A-Phofung executive mayor, Gilbert Tjhopo Mokotso alongside Council Whip, Moeketsi Lebesa and local business community were among the distinguished guest who graced this community building event.

 Mokotso hailed the good deeds by this academic organisation saying giving back to the community will assist in ensuring that government is kept on its heels as far  as the service delivery is concern.

However, ‘Hae ke Hae’s representative, Khotso Makhanya said the initial formation of their organisation was to “participate in the fight against social cohesion and  poverty elevation in Matebeleng village.”

He said ‘Hae Ke Hae’  established  by professionals from Matebeleng village started on March 2020 during  hard lockdown regulations of covid-19  through  a WhatsApp group, as part of ploughing back to the community.