..demand fair allocation of houses
By Libuseng Nyaka
Former Maluti A Phofung executive mayor Mofumahadi Mathokoana Mopeli
KESTEL – Victims of a freak storm that destroyed homes in Kerstel early this year are not happy with what they see as irregular selection of beneficiaries of new houses built to replace those destroyed, saying undeserving people who were unaffected by the tornado are getting first preference.
Residents who gathered here on Wednesday, November 7 told Maluti A Phofung executive mayor Sarah Moleleki that the contractor had used a controversial report when allocating the houses.
They protested that the report was full of irregularities and did notinclude some of the victims of the tornado attack of June 23, 2012.
“It is so sad when people affected by tornado are left out while preference is given to those who were not even affected. This issuehas to be addressed and ways found to compensate deserving victims,”Silas Sesoai said.
Former Maluti A Phofung executive mayor Mofumahadi Mathokoana Mopeli signed the controversial report implying victims had received assistance to rebuild damaged homes. but some of the 82 victims of the storm say the contents of the report are false and misleading.
The chairperson of the Disaster Management Committee established to deal with victims and a principal teacher at Nkarabeng secondary school inKerstel, Thabo Tsotetsi said of the report: “The report is nothing buta pack of lies. It portrayed a different situation to what is obtaining on the ground. People have not been helped and the situation is still the same,” Tsotestsi said recently.
He said as chairperson of the disaster committee working closely withthe victims, he would have known if any funds or help had been rendered to the community as he was heavily involved in rescue efforts and community revival.
“This report is an insult to thevictims. I was also shocked to see the report because I am tasked towork with the victims to ensure they get help,” he added.
Residents also told Moleleki that they were unimpressed by the waypeople were being engaged to work on the construction project.
Moleleki told the affected people that she was there to clear the decks for the provincial government who would be coming soon to intervene.
But the meeting nearly went sour when Moleleki interrupted the chairperson of the disaster committee’s presentation, saying that Tsotetsihad no right to address them because he was not affected.
That did not go down well with the community members who electedTsotetsi to represent them.They demanded that he be allowed to speak.
However, the speaker of Maluti A Phofung, Malewatle Nthedi was quick tocool flaring tempers saying that the purpose was not to fight withthem but to engage with them so that they can all be assisted.