QWAQWA – Sixteen years of pain, leaks, and broken hope came to an end on Saturday when Mathotho Mahamotsa (48) and her three children unlocked the door to a brand new, fully furnished home in Marakong village.
What was once a crumbling, inherited mud house is now a house of dignity – thanks to the intervention of the Maluti-a-Phofung Local Municipality.
“I have been living in this house for 16 years with my three children. It has been a challenge seeking help, but I received none over the past years. Today, I am so very happy,” Mahamotsa said, her voice breaking with emotion.
“Finally, we have a home we can be proud of. I am grateful for what the municipality has done for us.”
Mahamotsa inherited the dilapidated structure from her maternal grandfather. Inside it, she raised her three children – 19-year old Palesa, 13-year old Lerato and 11-year old Thabo – through harsh winters and raining summers.
At Saturday’s handover, it was Palesa who could not hold back tears. The matric learner wept openly as Mayor Tumelo Thebe handed her mother the keys.
“We are so grateful for this new house. We do not have words to describe the joy we feel in our hearts,” she said.
For 70-year old Mokoni Mokholase, Mahamotsa’s uncle, the day was an answered prayer. He said he had been knocking on doors since 2025, pleading with the local councillor for help.
“I am happy to see my wishes coming true today,” Mokholase said.
The family’s plight caught Executive Mayor Tumelo Thebe’s attention during a service delivery oversight visit to Marakong in September. Moved by what he saw, he made an immediate commitment to rebuild.
“Anyone who knew this house before, the state in which this family was living, will understand why today God’s mercy has shone light on their situation,” Thebe said.
Turning to Palesa, who is writing matric despite years of hardship, Thebe offered words of encouragement:
“Despite the conditions you were living in, you persisted with your studies and focused on school until this point. You are now in matric. Work hard, and I know you will make us proud.”
For the Mahamotsa family, Saturday was more than a handover. It was the end of 16 years of living on the edge – and the beginning of a life of dignity.
