MADALA Patrick Ditshego believes he has been robbed of his right to own a proper house.
The 86-year-old from Ntoane Village, outside Dennilton in Limpopo, applied for an RDP house in 2008, but never received one.
To make matters worse, madala Patrick said he has lost the documents to prove he had applied.
The madala, who has been homeless for 14 years, sleeps in a makeshift shelter at a stand that belonged to his late father.
He doesn’t have a toilet and has to relieve himself in the bushes.
“Time is no longer on my side and my last dying wish is to own a proper house,” he said.
“I used to live with my wife in a two-room house. She died years ago. The house fell apart due to heavy rains. I’m left to struggle alone. Where would I be buried if I don’t have a house?
Madala Patrick said he has to endure severe weather conditions.
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“I don’t sleep when it rains. I sit and wait for the rain to pass. In winter, I have to sit next to a fire all night. “In summer, I risk getting bitten by snakes and other reptiles.I risk being attacked by robbers,” he said.
He said he used to rent a room in the village, but couldn’t keep up with the rent.
“I’m a pensioner and the money is not enough to cater for all my needs, so I had to come back to this stand,” he said.
“I only have the clothes that I’m wearing and don’t have food. I live like a streetkid and feel like I have been stripped off my dignity. Government has turned its back on me.”
Madala Patrick added that he is sent from pillar to post whenever he enquires about his RDP.
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“I’ve lost all hope of owning an RDP. I believe I’ll die homeless and won’t rest in peace and will not rest in peace,” he said.
Limpopo Co-operative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs spokesman Hitekani Magwedze said they are investigating Patrick’s case.
Magwedze said: “We’re checking if the madala applied for an RDP and is on the database of people who must receive houses.”
