Cape Town – “I don't have the words to explain
the way I feel right now.”
So said 83-year-old Maria Ntese, who yesterday received the keys to her very first house.
Ntese has been on the housing waiting for more than 30 years.
From Site B in Khayeltisha, Ntese’s four-bedroomed house was donated by Chippa United Football Club chairperson Siviwe “Chippa” Mpengesi.
Deputy Minister for Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation, Pamela Tshwete did the handover.
“Our zinc shack was not able to handle bad weather, and at times rainwater would seep in and wet everything.
"I would like to thank Mpengesi for his wonderful work, and may he continue to do good all the time,” said Ntese.
“I have been waiting for a house since 1986 and now I don’t know if I will have a proper sleep due to my excitement. I feel like a child again.
“I have everything I never had before,” Ntese said. “My family will live in comfort like other families now,” she continued.
Ntese’s house was built using Green Crete alternative building technology, making it eco-friendly. Mpengesi said he was working on donating more houses to needy families.
“I have to plough back and help families because I know exactly how it feels not to have a house and to live in poverty.
“I am grateful and I thank God that I made her dreams come true,” Mpengesi said.
Tshwete said the fact that Ntese received her first house at 83 filled her heart with joy. “At her age she is supposed to be living comfortably. We want to thank Mpengesi for this house that is made out of recycled waste.
‘‘ It is my second time handing over a house made out of recycled waste. It is very strong and accommodating, especially for old people. ”
Ward councillor Luleka Jali said Ntese was not the only elder in the community who had spent most of her life in an informal settlements.