Robert Khamanyani, also known as Xigodo (which means stump), used to sleep in the open where he was exposed to the elements, but that is before his life took a dramatic turn for the better. He is now the owner of a brand new house, with a bed and a wardrobe, thanks to Thuso Malelelo, the businessman who was hailed as a Good Samaritan at a function to officially open the house at Mdabula on Saturday.

Khamanyani addressed hundreds of people, including the Vhembe District Municipality executive mayor, Mr Philemon Mdaka when he received the house. “I thought there was nothing left for me in this world but the grave,” said the emotionally charged man, “but I thank God, because he has saved my life. He has guided this Good Samaritan to come and change my life and God should bless him. I know that out of a million people there is someone with a heart of gold.”

Tears welled in his eyes when he narrated what had happened to him during the heavy rains and floods of the year 2000. “My hut fell down and I escaped through a window. Since that time I had nothing that could be called a house. I slept in the open and people laughed at me. Fortunately Malelelo did not laugh at me, but helped me instead,” he said.

“As a company with its roots in disadvantaged communities, we have experienced poverty, but when I was supposed to build a toilet, I realized it was cruel to just build a toilet for someone who did not have a house. I then decided to build a house for Khamanyani,” said Malelelo.

Mdaka officially opened the house on Saturday and said thatwhen the ANC states “together we can do more,” it means that in order to eradicate poverty, business people needed to do what Thuso did.

After Mdaka cut a ribbon signalling the official opening of the house, many dignitaries applauded when they realised that the busi-nessman had not only built a house for Kha-manyani, but had also bought him a brand new bed and a wardrobe.