By: Zethu Gweva
Moses Konono, 54, and his family are on the verge of being evicted at the Dickson Dyani Primary High School cottage after 19 years of working as an unpaid caretaker of the school.
Konono who lives with his wife and six children said after the cottage was renovated, the school asked him to vacate the premises as the school will utilize the cottage as a nutrition area for the school.
He said he pleaded with the school to give him time as the Ward 17 Councillor Phumla Yenana promised him a shelter. Until this day, he says, she has not delivered on her promise.
“After they told me to vacate the cottage, I pleaded with them saying I have nowhere to go. I asked them to allow me to stay and that I will clear the kitchen area which they will use. Until this day they have not used the kitchen,” he said.
The School Governing Body Chairperson Ntsikelelo Matikinca said, for nutrition, the school received a zero percent rating due to the area they use for cooking, and that is why they are asking Konono for the cottage. It has a bigger cooking area.
“It has been more than 10 years since he has been staying in the cottage and it has been four years since he was asked to leave. We have written him five letters asking him to vacate the premises,” said Matikinca.
According to Yenana, she went to the school to ask permission for Konono to stay longer, as she is busy assisting him to get a house. She said she requested Konono to submit his application form to the Eastern Cape Department of Human Settlement.
“As we all know that when you apply for a house you do not receive it immediately. It is a long process but his application is in the database,” said Yenana.
After submitting the application, Yenana said she asked Konono to look for a site where he will temporarily build a shack and stay with his family as he waits for his house. Yenana alleges that when he got the site a number of community members took it from him.
Konono and his family have been abused, humiliated and violated by some residents who want him out of the cottage. He said when his children were alone in the cottage, the residents barged into the cottage and started swearing at the children and there was a video taken during the ordeal.
“They broke into the cottage and called my children ‘’stupid homeless children. They said they do not care, even if my children could live in the streets, they will chase us out. We must leave and my children should tell me that,” he said.
The Dickson Dyani Area Chairperson Monde Ntshebe said he has asked the school to allow him to stay as he is currently looking for a place to stay.
“I wrote a letter to the municipality and I am still waiting for a response. But I do not know how long the school will keep him,” said Ntshebe.