Sun City residents expressed their gratitude for a local businessman's charitable efforts to put a lid on their leaking roofs.
Sun City residents expressed their gratitude for a local businessman's charitable efforts to put a lid on their leaking roofs.
On Monday, Marius Barnard, owner of Marius Barnard Plumbing and Renovations, with his crew of seven staff, joined forces with D&A Timbers to improve the roofs of shacks and RDP houses in the area. Barnard said that peoples' lives are at risk every time it rains and the water leaks from their roofs.
"Living in a house with a leaking roof is like a ticking time-bomb, once it begins to rain, anything can happen. I want to assist them and provide them with roofs that don't leak so that no one becomes electrocuted.”
The project aims to improve approximately 81 residential units, but according to Barnard, this will not be an overnight project. He has injected R20 000 to purchase roofing equipment. "When we worked there this week, there were a couple of impatient people who wished that we could speedily complete this project, but it is not easy as there are a couple of challenges that we are facing," he said.
Barnard is urging interested people to contribute to ensuring that families are nice and warm this winter. "I am asking people to dig into their pockets and donate food for these families. Unemployment is rife in this area and very often the residents go to sleep on empty stomachs. Also, I would like people to donate items such as AVE Plastic Sealers and corrugated roof sheets. They can leave their items at D&A Timbers for Jonathan Voorfeld, D&A Timber's brand manager's attention," Barnard.
Voorvelt said D&A Timbers donated a generator for a week. Voorvelt said: “We are trying to help the project and we support the good cause in Grahamstown.” Voorvelt added that other companies that supported this project are Maktec and Tork Craft.
One Sun City resident, Fredy Pokbas, 71, who has been living in the area for the past 20 years said: “I felt great to see this constructor helping people.” Pokbas praised the project for helping those who can't help themselves. Another resident, Phumeza Booi, said that most of the people here live and die because there is no one who cares.
She added that they have lost hope in government because they saw no progress. She said: “I felt great about what this project is doing because our shacks are leaking.”
