It has been more than 12 years of freedom, but to some, freedom means nothing except the fact that their situation has gone from bad to worse.

Mrs Anna Maluleke has got nothing to be proud of; she has got no job, whilst she faces a lot of responsibility as a breadwinner with a family of eight.

According to sources around the community where she lives, she is well known as one of the poorest people who deserves any possible assistance. Maluleke accepts that she is in need of a better life, but the biggest thing she needs is an RDP house, as there is not enough space for all the members of her family to sleep. She says that some sleep in their neighbours’ house.

According to her, she was one of the victims of the flood way back in 2000, but she has not been compensated like others who received houses. According to other community members, many people in the village were recently given free RDP houses, but she was again left behind for no reason. The poor mom claims to have applied for RDP house several times, but all her efforts have been in vain.

The mother of five children who lives at Majosi in Hlanganani only has got one mud hut and a one-roomed house, which she shares with her children. Both are in a bad condition. The third building is a mud house that has fallen in on one side; it is no better than a ticking time bomb as it has got severe cracks and can fall at any time. One can tell that they are amongst the poorest of the poor.

One of her biggest worries is that she claims to have been promised a house during the past election, but till now she has been waiting in vain. Maluleke works as a domestic worker and she does not get enough money to meet the needs of the family. Three of her children are at school. Now she asks: "Where is the house I’ve voted for?" When it rains, other people rejoice, but not Maluleke as she has to deal with leaking roofs.

"I know that I have got a lot of needs for me and my children, but what I need first is an RDP house," says the poor mom.