VIDEO: Life to change for Abongile as his granny will get house
The life of 10-year-old Duncan Village boy Abongile Ganati, who spent his time looking after his paralysed grandmother, is about to change for the better.
Abongile’s grandmother, Nokude Ganati, said she received a phone call from an official at the department of human settlements, saying a house was being built for them.
“They called me saying I will receive a house where I will move and stay there with my children and Abongile,” Ganati told the Daily Dispatch.
Human settlement spokesman Lwandile Sicwetsha yesterday said a contractor would be appointed to build her a house once verification of her application had been completed.
“The verification of her application is in the final stages. This is done to check if Ganati has never benefited from any housing subsidy before and once this is done, her application will be approved and a contractor will be appointed to build her a home,” he said.
Abongile, who has looked after his grandmother since the age of six, will finally have a proper home.
The granny has been wheelchair- bound after a 2010 car accident left her unable to care for herself. Since then Abongile has been taking care of her.
Thembisa Ngcamama, who previously assisted and supported Ganati with groceries, said she was happy the department would support the family.
The two are currently staying at Silver Crown centre in Amalinda.
The centre is run by the department of social development and special programmes.
Ganati, her unemployed son, Olwethu and Abongile previously shared a small two-room shack in Duncan Village’s C-Section.
The Daily Dispatch first wrote about the family in August this year and help in the form of finances and groceries poured in from readers.
Some Dispatch readers bought Abongile clothes while some took him out for lunch or to places of entertainment for children.
The family was also visited by social development MEC Weziwe Sihlwayi, who cried when she heard the family’s story.
Abongile used to rise at 6am each day and feed and clean his granny, in-between getting ready for school. He would lock his granny in the shack and at break time, rush home to check if she was still fine.
At the time, Sihlwayi said Abongile would be placed under the departmental programmes while his granny would be placed in an old age home.
“My life will be better than before. I am thankful to those who helped me,” the grandmother said. — bonganif@dispatch.co.za