BY DELISA THWALA
MANZINI – DPM Themba Masuku put on the ‘Santa Claus’ part of his political coat when he visited many underprivileged households over the festive holidays.
The DPM brought smiles and defined hope when he visited 23 households that were affected by the recent storms, this was on Christmas Day which fell on a Sunday.
Masuku visited the 23 households that were affected by the storm at Mahlanya and surrounding areas.
The households that Masuku visited on this day were those affected by the storm that hit some parts of the country on Sunday, December 18, 2022.
The affected households had their roofing blown away, while some houses built with stick and mud had parts of the structures falling off.
In his visit, Masuku donated some food parcels to those households. He was accompanied by National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Russell Dlamini and other officials from the NDMA.
Masuku and Dlamini were also joined by Lobamba Lomdzala Member of Parliament (MP) Marwick Khumalo and other senior community leaders from the said constituency.
Khumalo appreciated the DPM’s swift action in a bid to address the disaster that befell the residents under his constituency.
He noted that the visit came shortly after he and his inkhundla council met with the DPM to raise the matter, during the past week after the storm.
In an interview after visiting the homesteads, Masuku stated that upon assessing the situation, he would meet with the Prime Minister (PM), Cleopas Sipho Dlamini, where he would report on what he (Masuku) found on the ground.
He said thereafter, the PM would convene a meeting with the entire Cabinet to deliberate available resources that would be used to assist the affected households.
Masuku stated that priority would be given to less privileged households, as he noted during his visit that they were struggling to rebuild their affected houses.
He appreciated the other households which were already making means to rebuild their houses.
Masuku stated that his office had been receiving reports from all the four regions of the country about homes that were affected by the storm.
Masuku said they were working around the clock to reach out to those affected places and assist where possible.
The DPM stated that government was ready to serve and deliver, which included assisting those in need.
“ We would encourage proper roofing because this becomes one of the most affected things during heavy storms like the ones we witnessed,” he said.
