ONE year after her five-year-old daughter was brutally raped and murdered, a young mother from Nelson Mandela Bay is living in horrific conditions on a farm in Rocklands, while her little girl’s alleged murderer still freely roams the streets.
Veronica Makwena, who is approximately 24 years old, has no ID and therefore cannot receive any government income.
She also recently lost her job on a neighbouring farm, where she used to slaughter chickens.
Makwena, who also has a one-year-old son, Daniel, currently lives in a dark room that she shares with her sister, Monica, and four nieces and nephews. The room has no windows or furniture and there are no toilet facilities, electricity or water on the farm.
The room, in a dilapidated outbuilding on the farm, serves as a kitchen, living room and bedroom, and has no proper door. Makwena and her family are sleeping on mattresses on the floor.
CEO of the NPO, Giving Gifts of Love to Newborn Babies, Desiree Goodwin, said that they have been taking care of Makwena and her family to ensure that they don’t starve to death.
“She has no income so we provide her with food, water and clothes. We are currently trying to put up a shelter for her in St Albans, where we’ve managed to secure a piece of land so that she can have access to water.
“We have started with the structure for the shack but we need more building materials to complete the roof and floor,” Goodwin said.
To make matters worse, Goodwin added that Makwena still didn’t get any justice for her daughter, Chantal (5), whose alleged murderer is known to the community.
Goodwin said that she had been in contact with the lab that needs to do the DNA testing in order for the suspect to be charged, but that there were allegedly no funds to do the tests.
“I [recently] spoke to the lab. They have between 30 000 and 40 000 DNA samples waiting to be tested and need billions of rands to do the tests.
“In the case of children getting raped or murdered they don’t prosecute without DNA results. Veronica is very withdrawn and still traumatised about the way her daughter was brutally murdered. She needs justice for Chantal,” Goodwin added.
When asked about the whereabouts of the owner of the farm, Goodwin said no one knew where he was. “I think he wants to sell the farm,” she added.
Goodwin made an urgent plea to the residents of Nelson Mandela Bay to help the NPO, in any way possible, to ensure better living conditions for Makwena and her family.
“We need a lot of help to get her house in St Albans completed and the funds are not always there. Veronica has no education, not even a cell phone, but we’d like to get her trained, maybe to do hair. We also need to help her get an ID,” Goodwin said.
Spokesperson for the Department of Social Development, Sibabalwe Nkebe, said they are aware of Makwena’s situation.
“Social workers have been working with the family, providing trauma debriefing, counselling sessions and other social work services.
“The social worker was assisting in trying to get them IDs before the national lockdown was implemented. Last year and even last week they received food parcels. The department is also assisting with transport with the few last court appearances,” Nkebe said.
She added that the social worker working with the family had been on sick leave but was due to be back on duty this week. “I will have a full report on interventions done as soon as the social worker returns.”
Spokesperson for the department of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation, McIntosh Polela, said that he had contacted the relevant officials and referred Makwena’s case to them with an instruction to assist.
He also asked for her exact location in order for these officials to pay her a visit to assess her situation.
“After this, we will decide on the best way to assist.
“This will have to be done with the Department of Home Affairs and probably Social Development since it was mentioned that she has no Identity Document,” Polela said.
Anyone who would like to get involved or help the NPO in any way, can visit the Giving Gifts of Love to Newborn Babies NPO’s Facebook Page for more information.
Goodwin can also be contacted on 082 879 8960.
