Gauteng delivers on housing promise to ailing woman

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Pretoria – A woman who had to wear a mask to protect herself from the dust in her shack has been given a brand new house worth R500 000.

Government hopes that the new house will alleviate some of the health risks for Gontlafetse Sehako, who was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension in 2011.

Upon her diagnosis, doctors recommended that she live in a well ventilated structure.

“The house solves a number of things. It deters the risk of dust, which might have health implications.

“It also resolves the problem of electricity supply because in the shack, electricity was illegally connected and there was no constant supply,” Gauteng MEC of Human Settlements Jacob Mamabolo said.

He was speaking on Saturday at the ceremony for the handover of the house to Sehako in Riverside View, north of Johannesburg.

He said government hopes that the house will relieve Sehako of unnecessary stress about having a proper place to stay and she will be able to focus on her health.

Sehako said: “Judging from where I come from, I did not expect this. God has made it possible. My dream has come true. We did not expect this kind of house.”

Sehako will be staying in the house with her cousins. – SAnews.gov.za