Music Charity Show Billed For Selebi-Phikwe

CALISTUS KOLANTSHO
Correspondent | Monday April 19, 2010 00:00

Otsile Manyatsa told Showtime in an interview that he came across Nkele during a music video shoot that he was doing in Sefophe. 'She narrated to me how hard life was for her and her seven kids,' he said. He said his aim is to build the old woman a two-roomed house and at the moment the foundation of the house has been dug.  He explained that the project has stopped because of lack of money.

Manyatsa said he has been trying to raise funds from different companies across the country, but only a few have responded positively.He explained that at the moment, the family sleeps crammed in a small mud hut. He said the house does not have a bed and the family does not own cooking utensils and they use tins to cook and they do not have blankets. During the visit to the yard, Showtime team witnessed that inside the hut, there is nothing that indicates that the family has cooked recently and even the food container was empty.

The door of the hut is just a sheet metal that has been locked with a padlock. Manyatsa said the house that he wants to build for the family needs close to P50,000 and it will include erecting a fence, connecting water and building a pit latrine. 'The yard is not fenced and it is not safe to stay in an unfenced yard because anything can happen,' he said.Manyatsa explained that Nkele does not even have Omang and her plot certificate has been destroyed by the recent rains.

He mentioned that the family survived the heavy rains by the grace of God because the roof is leaking and the wall could collapse at anytime.

He added that there is nobody who is employed in the family and one of the children is mentally retarded.  'The other two are still at primary school, but it is hard for them,' he remarked. Manyatsa pleaded with companies and individuals to assist the Nkele family.Manyatsa's music producer, Peter Lebese said they have planned the music show to be held on May 8 at the Selebi-Phikwe Stadium. 'We have negotiated with artists such as Maxy and Franco. We have agreed with Selebi-Phikwe artists to take part in the show,' said Lebese.Nkele's niece, Onalenna Nkele said school-going children get their uniform from well-wishers in the village. She explained that the family has been cancelled from the council destitute programme. She mentioned that they have been ordered to look for employment, which is a hard thing to find. She said her grandmother was born in 1963 and she feels that it was not fair for her to be struck off the programme. Nkele revealed that the social worker has never visited them to assess their situation. 

The village Kgosi, Segwabe Segwabe, said he was shocked to learn that the family has been struck off. He mentioned that there was no corporation between the social worker and the village leadership.

'I do not understand why this has happened right under our noses. I will try to address the situation as soon as possible because people cannot survive this way when there are destitute programmes meant for them,' he snapped.