The new human settlement MEC, Babalo Madikizela, on Tuesday committed to have his department build 10 houses for the most destitute people of Nyandeni village near Libode.
Madikizela, who was in Nyandeni Great near Libode to pay allegiance to King Ndamase Ndamase, in line with the African practise of ukukhahlela, committed that the houses will be handed over to the beneficiaries before the Easter Weekend.
The ANC provincial treasurer also promised that by that time he will also hand over boreholes to supply water to the king's palace.The houses are built by his department, but the borehole will be provided through personal efforts as a businessman and will be assisted by other business people to to drill the water.
“We will hand them all on before the Easter Weekend,” said the MEC.
The MEC was neeting the king, traditional leaders and the community.
The purpose of the visit is for the MEC to outline departmental plans and also discuss all human settlements issues that are affecting the villages of Nyandeni.
The MEC informed the traditional leaders on ways to improve the lives of the poverty stricken villagers through information sharing and collectively finding solutions to their challenges.
The traditional leaders were give information on other products offered by the department and ways to access them. This included information on the destitute and vulnerable groups programme, which he says is a prompt response and intervention on the plight of destitute people, andwhich rescues helpless people from the trenches of poverty and homelessness.
Human settlement HoD Daluhlanga Mpendu outlined projects in the Nyandeni Local Municipalities area for the term 2014 to 2019. He said they had budged R82m for the Nyandeni Local Municipality.
“We have built more than 4,500 units, and of the R82m we have spent about R81m,'' said Mpendu.
Traditional leaders expressed anger that AmaMpondo AseNyandeni (Western Mpondoland) Kingdom had been sidelined during President Ramaphosa’s ANC Top 6 visits to the great places of kingdoms.
They said that since Ramaphosa became president he had never visited them. But they said they have not yet lost faith in the ANC, and will continue vote for the ANC.
Madikizela said he would hand over 10 houses to beneficiaries in Nyandeni and also come to give answers to all the questions that were raised.
The MEC, in line with the custom of ukukhahle, donated a cow to the king as a sign of respect.​..