Mpho Trust residents wait in vain.
Aaron Maekiso
By: Aron Maikiso
The struggle for members of Beatrix continues, as community members still live in an old, dilapidated school building. The community has been engaged a few times to seek assistance. Efforts so far have paved the way for the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform to commit to building proper RDP houses for the residents.
It was early this year, in March, when the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform visited the residents of Beatrix. They promised to build houses by April 2025. However, until today, nothing has happened. Surprisingly, the residents still have hope that the Department will follow through and build them houses. In an interview with Ms. Moipone Madie, an elderly woman living in an old dairy building previously used by the former owner, Mr. Martinson, before selling the farm, she said she started occupying the building in 2012. She still lives there with her daughter and her four children.
In the interview, she expressed her dream of living in a newly built house with her grandchildren, where they will have peace without fear of heavy rains collapsing their home. The sad part is that they lack privacy; she attempted to build a shack with two rooms for her two boys. Despite these hardships, Moipone Madie still harbors hope that the government will build her a house and provide her with electricity. As a community leader in Beatrix Farm, I contacted officials from the Department of Rural Development. Their response was positive—they said they were busy with quotations for construction, and once completed, the project will commence.
The government has a responsibility to improve the lives of its citizens. People in rural areas are also citizens of the country and deserve the same privileges as those in urban areas. During election times, community members in rural areas are encouraged to vote, as their votes are crucial for the ruling party’s victory. Therefore, they deserve to be treated with respect and dignity.
