Donovan MacDonald Retirement Village receives free essentials

On 2 April, the MMC for Housing, Mlungisi Mabaso, and his dedicated team took it upon themselves to help elderly residents to stay safe during the nation-wide lockdown.

The Housing team was accompanied by the chairperson of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA), and other City officials. One of the three areas they visited was Maraisburg, where they handed out gloves, soap and sanitizers to the residents of Donovan MacDonald Retirement Village.

This retirement village was the first stop on their day of travelling to help the less fortunate. At 10.30am they arrived at the centre and got to work organising and sanitizing everything they would hand out, sticking little notes on the side of each hand sanitizer as well.

The MMC and his team then went from door to door in the village, clad in masks and gloves, to distribute the essential cleanliness products for free.

Some residents were wary to leave their homes to accept the gifts, but quickly changed their minds when they saw the safety measures being taken by the team.

The cold and wet morning didn’t seem to bother anyone as they walked in the light drizzle, because the charitable atmosphere filling the air warmed the hearts of the residents and the people helping them.

The MMC later visited an informal settlement in Orlando East, as well as Mapetla Hostel in Soweto. He said that these areas were chosen due to the large number of low-income individuals who have limited access to water and dignified ablution facilities, which is detrimental to their health, especially as the pandemic will most likely hit the overcrowded areas the most.

MMC Mabaso said that inadequate water resources and sharing toilets have a direct impact on the spread of the disease.

“We call upon our communities to adhere to government’s directives to wash their hands regularly for at least 20 seconds, and to keep social distancing. This is not to punish our people, but to prevent a further spread of the virus that has claimed thousands of lives globally,” said the MMC.

Mabaso and his team have plans to visit other overcrowded areas throughout the lockdown to distribute more essentials to those who cannot afford them, and ensure that residents are educated about social distancing, all while keeping themselves and those around them safe.

According to a statement released by the MMC’s office, SCOPA chairperson, Mkhuleko Hlengwa, applauded the MMC for his efforts to distribute essentials, as minimal as they may be, and said more needs to be done. He said that the main focus of public education should be on communities that seem to not fully understand the implications of this pandemic.

Hlengwa further said he expected public funds to reach people daily, not just during a pandemic.