Gogo Sara Ngozo flanked by Executive Mayor Cllr Mzwandile Masina and Collen Mashawana who are cutting the ribbon to hand over her brand new house in McKenzieville. Image supplied
#CoEhousing: Christmas came early for 101-year-old Ekhurhuleni resident
The Chairman of Afribiz Invest, Collen Mashawana, collaborated with Ekurhuleni Mayor Mzwandile Masina to make a resident’s dream come true.
Gogo Sara Ngozo flanked by Executive Mayor Cllr Mzwandile Masina and Collen Mashawana who are cutting the ribbon to hand over her brand new house in McKenzieville. Image supplied
Together, they presented the 101-year-old Gogo Sara Ngozo with a home in McKenzieville Extension 2 near Nigel. It came at just the right time too because Ngozo’s old shack started to leak recently.
Thanks to Afribiz Invest responding to her plight, Ngozo will now be warm and safe in her 3-bedroom furnished home, complete with bathroom, lounge, kitchen and perimeter wall.
A new beginning
The ribbon was cut, and the Mayor handed Ngozo her new key. She was greeted with a black lounge suite and decorated Christmas tree when she opened the door. The Collen Mashawana Foundation sponsored the tree and other Christmas goodies to the value of R10,000.
A quick walk through the house also revealed a kitchen stocked with food and cold drinks. Outside, banana, apple, mango, and avocado trees, as well as a lush green lawn, lined the house.
Watch: Sara Ngozo’s new home
Ngozo couldn’t contain her excitement and broke down crying with joy of finally being a homeowner. She told reporters:
“I don’t even know what to say, all I expected was just a brick and mortar house, I never knew that it would come with a proper bed. I haven’t slept on a new bed in ages. This is beautiful, thank you all.”
Ngozo’s 70-year-old son and 68-year-old daughter will share the three-bedroom home with her.
The housing situation in South Africa
Housing remains a contentious political issue, and while post-apartheid Constitution saw to nearly four million residents receiving homes, millions are still waiting.
According to Amira Osman, an Associate Professor in Architecture at the University of Johannesburg, “strict social engineering during apartheid meant that Black people were disadvantaged. Cities were racially divided, and the Black population forced to live far from places of economic activity and without public amenities.”
However, there are potential courses the government could pursue, such as diversifying funding streams and allowing for a shift away from ownership towards a focus on rental options.
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