Two poor families from Slangrivier near Swellendam in the Western Cape are still waiting for compensation, almost a year after their homes were damaged in separate freak incidents.
Two buses belonging to the same owner crashed into their RDP homes, just hours apart.
To date, neither the owner of the buses nor the local municipality, have done anything to help.
The home owners say the bus company is refusing to help them.
Hilda Beukes says, “Everytime I’m on the phone with him (bus owner) he puts the phone down on me. I can’t take it anymore. Its 10 months since this happened to my house and I want what’s due to me.”
Another resident, Francina Nykana says, “He (bus owner) says he cannot fix the house because there was no driver in the bus. A person feels embarrassed and hurt and we can’t even invite people over.”
Community leaders are livid.
JB Hoogbaard says, “I think it’s unfair for our residents to be treated this way. There are children who live in these houses. I think it’s time the bus owner keeps his promise to fix these homes and I also think the municipality should follow this up.”
The bus owner declined to be interviewed.
He claims the incidents were an act of sabotage after the brakes of one of the vehicles were tampered with and the handbrake on the other deliberately released.
The municipality says the matter is sub judice and it cannot comment.
For now, the plight of the affected families continues.
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