Pretoria – The fully-furnished house built for two poor disabled brothers in Winterveld following Mandela Day this year was literally cleaned out on Christmas Day.
Charges have since been laid against criminals who broke into the house during the night and took everything.
The brothers, Thomas and Peter Motheone, had not yet moved into the house – they had been waiting for President Jacob Zuma to hand it over officially to them early in the new year.
The project to build the house had been spearheaded by the Gauteng government after the family was identified as being destitute and in need of a roof over their head.
They had been living in a dilapidated muddy house, and when their plight was discovered, they were moved into two corrugated-iron shacks. This was while the house was under construction nearby.
Makhura visited the Motheone brothers on Mandela Day and promised to build them a house within 10 days.
The premier said at the time that the pair was identified through the ANC’s door-door campaign in the area. “We felt that we needed to do something to alleviate their situation,” he said.
One of the brothers, Thomas, said the government had fulfilled its promise. The house was also fully furnished, but not handed to them immediately.
Motheone on Tuesday expressed disappointment at the turn of events. “I am terribly disappointed because I have been waiting and looking forward to staying in the house and sleep on my brand new bed,” he said.
Donations had poured in after the house was built. The house had sofas, two bedroom suites, a fridge and was fitted with a kitchen unit.
The move into their new house had been delayed – Zuma was to hand it over in January.
On the night the criminals broke into their house they were fast sleep. “It was raining that night. I didn’t hear anything,” Thomas said. His brother was not around.
All the furniture was taken, and a case of housebreaking was opened at Loate police station.
Community member Elsie Ntuli said the house keys had not been handed over to the two due to the scheduled event for early next year.
Ntuli said the criminals tampered with the handle and forced the door open. When she went to check on the brothers to see if they needed food on the day after Christmas, she was greeted with an empty house.
“I tried to open the door, but I could see that there was something wrong with the handle. I entered the house and noticed that all the furniture and blankets were missing. I called the neighbours to come and see what had happened."
Ntuli said the house would have been handed over to the brothers on December 14, but they were told the president had other engagements.