A family of nine living in a mud structure in the Eastern Cape has still not been given the house it was promised in 2022. Vuyo Kafuli stays in a dilapidated mud structure with eight children in the rural village of Ntsimbini in Ngqeleni.
The 66-year old was told that his family was on the Department of Human Settlements’ list of destitute people in 2022, when SABC news covered his plight for the first time. Since then, nothing has changed.
The family has been living in appalling conditions for more than 20 years. It is also affecting the children’s education with grade eight the highest grade passed by only one of the siblings. Kafuli says all of his children have dropped out of school due to their living conditions.
“The situation here has not changed, it is still the same as you were here before. I do not have a place to stay. I stay here with my eight children. Sometimes when it is raining we go to relatives and come back here when the weather clears. When you were here before, we were promised to be built a home but I have not seen changed. It is still the same as I have cried before ”
Kafuli’s daughter, who did not want to be identified, says they are yearning for a better life and even to return to school.
“I stay here at home most of the time but I also go to my grandmothers because there is not space here and most of the time, there’s no food. I dropped out of school in grade eight because we are struggling. I still want to go back to school.”
She also says going to school was difficult.
“I used to perform well at school. I was clever but the situation forced me to drop out. I did not have things that were needed at school, other learners were fine. My uniform was torn. When I looked at other learner I felt confused. I decided to drop out because I was not like other children ”
The family has lost hope in the government and is asking anyone who can help, to build them a house. They sleep on the floor on a mattress and keep some of their belongings with relatives.
The Department of Human Settlements was approached for comment on the family’s situation, but it did not respond to the SABC’s request for more than 24 hours.
A family of 9 living in a mud structure in the Eastern Cape:
