After enduring the tragic loss of her grandchild, a 70-year-old Christinah Mahlangu was happy to receive a new home from the City of Tshwane and Palesa Coal Mine during a ceremony held in the Zithobeni Heights near Bronkhorstspruit area on Tuesday. 

In 2022, she suffered the traumatic loss of one of her grandchildren, who was brutally murdered and dismembered.

Mahlangu’s grandchildren were on their way to school when the incident occurred, and the elder grandchild, a 15-year-old secondary school pupil, was the victim. 

Despite the pain, Mahlangu was overwhelmed with joy after receiving the house, simply saying, “I am very happy.”

Her daughter, Thabi Kgomo, said Mahlangu’s health was severely impacted by the traumatic event. 

Kgomo explained that the family’s lives were turned upside down after the body was found in a black bag and buried for seven days before being discovered near their farm home. 

“The trauma has been overwhelming for the family, especially the other three children, who struggled to cope in school,” she said.

The new house is one of eight built by Palesa Coal Mine as part of a community upliftment initiative. 

Beneficiary, Nobuhle Mafa, 23, expressed gratitude for the house, saying it was a far cry from her previous living conditions.

“Before, our house would flood when it rained, and we’d have to go outside and wait for the rain to stop before we could go back in,” she recalled.

Mafa’s family had been living in a leaking house and struggling with poverty. 

“I am sad that my grandmother, who lived in poverty with us, is no longer with us. But at the same time, I am happy knowing she is now at peace,” she said.

Pensioner Gladys Gili beamed with joy, saying she is thrilled to finally have a proper roof over her head. 

“I am very grateful for the house; I have been suffering for a long time,” she said. 

Pieter Terblanche, CEO of Hosken Consolidated Investments, which owns Palesa Coal Mine, said the company has completed 11 houses so far and still has nine more to build in other wards, with an expected completion timeline of 14 months.

Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya expressed gratitude to the mine, which has been operating in the Bronkhorstspruit area since 2009. 

“The company’s participation in this initiative is part of its social and labour plan, which aligns with its responsibility to contribute positively to the development of communities within its area of operation,” she said.

Moya said the handover ceremony underscores the city’s ongoing efforts to bring lasting change to Tshwane residents, particularly those living in precarious conditions.

rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za

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