Zeerust, North West – The family of 104-year-old Mmutle Mothandi is heartbroken that the elderly woman, who has spent decades waiting for government housing, continues to live in a one-room shack with no proper shelter in her final years.
Mothandi, now blind and struggling with the frailties of old age, shares her cramped dwelling with family members, while some of her children reside in a caravan nearby. Her daughter, who is also awaiting a government-built home, says they feel abandoned by authorities despite multiple applications for assistance.
A Lifetime of Waiting
A foundation, which has been advocating for Mothandi, revealed that several housing applications were submitted over the years—some even attached to her identity document—but with no success.
“We noticed that there have been several applications for RDP housing, with no luck. So, we took it upon ourselves as the foundation to intervene,” said a representative. “This is not a new issue—it’s been 25 years of this elderly woman living like this. At 104, with great-grandchildren, her situation tells its own story.”
Government Responds
The North West Department of Human Settlements confirmed that Mothandi is not currently registered in any existing housing project. However a coordinator in the Premier’s office, claimed that an internal investigation revealed that RDP houses meant for Mothandi and her daughter were allegedly allocated to other people.
“Every family has the responsibility to build their own home, and where they can’t, government steps in,” he said. “We have an unconfirmed report that the granny’s RDP house is occupied by someone else, and the daughter’s house is in Rustenburg. These issues have been reported to the Premier.”
He promised that within three months, Mothandi and others who were supposed to receive homes in 2011 and 2012 would finally be accommodated.
A Race Against Time
With Mothandi’s advanced age and declining health, her family fears she may pass away before ever experiencing the dignity of a proper home. They are pleading for urgent intervention, questioning why it has taken over two decades for authorities to act.
As the government reassures them that help is coming, the family remains skeptical, having heard similar promises before. For now, Mothandi’s greatest wish—a safe and secure home in her twilight years—remains unfulfilled.
