By More Matshediso
Johannesburg - The late Moses Kotane’s daughter, Dolly Khunwana, says her mother will be extremely happy to move into her newly built home, handed over to her by the Department of Human Settlements on Monday.
Khunwana was representing her mother, Rebecca Kotane, during the handover of three show houses to military veterans by the department’s Minister Lindiwe Sisulu in Fleurhof, Johannesburg.
“She was ready to come and receive the house personally this morning, but she decided not to come any more… maybe she felt tired,” said the 79-year-old Khunwana.
She told SAnews that her mother currently stays with her helper in Diepkloof, and her grandchildren visited her regularly.
“I don’t know who she will choose to move in with here, we will hear from her.
“My three brothers have already passed on. She is only left with me and her other two boys,” she added.
Khunwana said Kotane’s 17 grandchildren will be happy to visit their grandmother in her new home.
Moses Kotane was a South African politician and activist who served as a secretary general of the South African Communist Party from 1939 until his death in 1978.
The Kotane family was amongst three military veterans who received fully furnished houses with solar geysers already installed.
Another recipient, Oompie Gasela, who moved into his new two bedroom house, with kitchen, lounge and bathroom with his wife today, said he hoped to be joined by his grandchildren in the near future.
“It is such a beautiful house, I feel like flying. I will be staying with my wife for now, my grandchildren will probably join us later,” Gasela said.
His wife, Thandi, said they now have a house of their own and that is what matters most for them because they have been renting in different areas all along.
She said they are excited and relieved that they will not be paying for anything since the house is fully furnished.
“All we have to do is to relax and lay down…,” she said with laughter.
Gasela joined the struggle for liberation in 1962 and received military training in Russia. He also performed military activities in Tanzania and was responsible for new recruits that joined the struggle.
“Today, Comrade Gasela, we will give you a house, fully furnished… we will take care of you,” Minister Sisulu said to him during the handover.
About 32 more houses in the area are still expected to be built for military veterans, but a total of 135 houses are expected to be built in the area for beneficiaries, including those who were not in the military.
“I would like to pay a special tribute to our veterans and their families… we are finally able to give them houses that they deserve,” she said.
She said she indicated to the veterans that they will be staying in the same neighbourhood with their fellow comrades who endured the same struggle during the apartheid times.
“… Because of their advanced stage, we want to give them the best because they gave us the best of their lives,” the Minister said.
She said the care centre will also be built later on within the vicinity of the veterans’ new homes and a park is already completed.
“A community centre will also be built for the recipients of these homes to socialise,” she said.
In total, 135 houses will be built and 35 of them will be handed over to the military veterans.
“The message to our military veterans is that their time has come, long overdue… we are sorry that we took so long to get to you, but we are here now. We will make sure that you are properly looked after, we are very grateful for the work you have done,” Minister Sisulu said.
She said there will be a community centre built in the area for the benefit of military veterans.
The handover formed part of the department’s Media Build programme which will see almost 6 000 houses being built for all qualifying military veterans across the country by 2017.
Minister Sisulu said the Media Build programme is a joint venture with the Department of Military Veterans and was launched in 2008 with donations from the private sector over the years.
The third recipient was Nocawa Lubemba, 87, who left the country in 1971 with her husband and their ten children to serve in Lusaka and Tanzania operations.
She also served as a nurse in her times and only returned with her family to South Africa in 1994.
She has since lived in Yeoville, in her daughter’s three bedroom house, with three of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, making it a 12-member household.
She receives a special pension and an old age pension. Three of her children are unemployed. She will be moving into the house with her children. - SAnews.gov.za
