One of Cwebeni village’s most senior citizens, 92-year-old Maswelekile Petshana, among the many village women living in poverty in dilapidated mud homes, has died without realising the dream of a proper house.
She waited for 25 years for an RDP house to no avail.
In December 2023 she told the Dispatch at her rundown home during social development MEC Bukiwe Fanta’s visit to the area her only wish was to get a house for her family. Petshana applied for an RDP house in 1999.
Cwebeni, near Tombo, has been described as one of the poorest villages in Port St Johns.
“I want the government to build a proper home for my children before I die,” she said at the time. “They don’t have to endure the same life I’ve had.”
In a TV interview with the SABC late in 2023,the mother of six said she lived with her youngest daughter Lindiwe Petshana, 46, and her six grandchildren.
Her monthly pension took care of the family.
Weeks later, she told the Dispatch the walls of her mud house were cracked and she was afraid the house could collapse.
Lindiwe confirmed her mother died on Thursday last week after complaining of shortness of breath on the Tuesday.
She was taken to the Isilimela Hospital, but was discharged the next day. She died at about 3pm on Thursday.
Lindiwe said her mother was probably turning in her grave at not fulfilling her biggest wish to see the family living in a decent house.
“She applied years ago but nothing came of that. I am sure she is angry wherever she is now. She was heartbroken she had been unable to provide us with a proper house. But she tried her best.”
Lindiwe said she did not know how she and her children were going to survive now that uGogo, as they affectionately called her, was no more.
She described her mother as a woman full of love for her family, always fun to be around and full of endless stories she would share with her and the grandchildren.
Less than three weeks ago, the Dispatch reported how desperate Cwebeni villagers had petitioned President Cyril Ramaphosa and premier Oscar Mabuyane, begging them to intervene in what they described as a severe violation of their human rights.
They said malnutrition and starvation were rife in the village with more than 100 families, including children, living in extreme poverty.
More than 100 families had also been displaced by natural disasters and weather events.
Many people lived in dilapidated homes unfit for habitation.
Cwebeni Community Development Forum chair Nceba Mamve said the village was distraught at the death of Petshana, the village’s second-oldest resident.
Her not having realised the dream of owning an RDP house made the situation worse.
“We are devastated because we have been telling the government about the plight of people such as her in our village,” Mamve said.
“She once told us a village traditional leader had informed her that her RDP house had been built and issued in Flagstaff.
“She’s never been there in her life. Her story is particularly sad because she died without having lived in what you’d call a proper house.”
Mamve said many community members had grown up under the watch and guidance of people such as Petshana.
“Our wish is that her dream does not go up in the air. We want to see that house built for her children.”
Questions were sent to the provincial department of human settlements, but no response was received by the time of publication.
Port St Johns municipal authorities said Petshana had registered for a house.
Spokesperson Simthandile Ford said while the municipality did not build houses, her name had been among those sent to the human settlements department.
“Nothing will change. When the house is there, it will be given to the children.”
Ford said an official announcement of a housing project in Cwebeni would be made when the verification process had been completed.
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