An old man has been found out to have been living in really unsavory conditions even as he battles to settle in a better environment.
Mkhululi Mali. Photo by Chris Qwazi
A South African man identified as Mkhululi Mali has cried out for help from his misery.
The man who is waiting for RDP houses, a South African government intervention apartments built for the less privileged, is currently living inside a graveyard where he has been for years.
Many South African less privileged people are waiting for the intervention in the form of RDP houses from the government
The waiting list for RDP houses in Mzansi, where Mkhululi lives, is long, however the 63-year-old is waiting patiently for his house in the New Brighton Cemetery, in Port Elizabeth.
He told Daily Sun: “I was supposed to get an RDP in MK Silverton, but it has disappeared into thin air. That is why I am now living with the dead. I live and sleep among ghosts.
“We invaded this land in 1999. Some people were moved into their RDPs from 2010 onwards, but I am still awaiting my turn.
“The municipality fenced the graveyard in 2014 but my shack was already inside.
“It is not nice to live among the dead – I am having nightmares. I dream of cars chasing me and about fighting for my RDP.
“I only sleep well after I had a few drinks. Municipal officials are always promising that I will be moved soon because my name is on the waiting list. They didn’t tell me where my house will be built.
“They just encouraged me to be patient.”
Nelson Mandela Bay spokesman Mthubanzi Mniki said: “I am not aware of Mkhululi’s situation. I will speak to officials in the human settlements department and we will follow up on this matter.”