Eastern Cape Pensioner Builds Her Own Home While R34m Government Project Sits Unfinished

• Nomondo Mboyi, a 67-year-old SASSA grant recipient from Ndakeni village, used her pension money to build her own mud-brick home
• A R34-million government contract awarded in 2023 to build 200 homes in rural Mbizana has not produced a single completed structure
• A bitter dispute between the Eastern Cape Department of Human Settlements and the appointed contractor has left the project abandoned
• Briefly News spoke to commercial property expert Rajesperi Naidoo on how much it would cost to build a basic mud-brick home using pension money

A 67-year-old pensioner in the rural Eastern Cape did what the government could not. Nomondo Mboyi, from Ndakeni village in Mbizana, used her monthly SASSA old-age grant to buy building materials, manufacture mud bricks, and pay labourers to construct her own two-room home.

Her story began in 2019, when severe storms destroyed the homes of hundreds of Mbizana residents. Mboyi was among those left without a proper shelter. Four years later, in 2023, the Eastern Cape Department of Human Settlements awarded a R34-million contract to ZIBSIPRO (Pty) Ltd to build 200 housing units across 34 villages in the area, budgeted at roughly R170,000 per home. The structure meant for Mboyi remained an unfinished foundation with partially erected walls. Not a single home in the project has been completed.

Read also

Munaka Muthambi breaks down how she bought her first Sandton property in 9 steps

R34m contract, zero completed homes

According to reports, the project ground to a halt in November 2024, caught in a dispute between the department and the contractor.

Provincial spokesperson Yanga Funani confirmed that ZIBSIPRO's contract was terminated during the 2025/26 financial year due to poor performance, and that a new contractor would be appointed to take over the incomplete structures.

ZIBSIPRO director Palesa Phara told a different story. She disputed the termination, alleging the department owed the company a full year's worth of unpaid work. Phara pointed to over-engineered foundation designs, the geographic spread of sites across 34 villages, weather disruptions, and a change in payment terms from milestone-based to completion-only payments as the factors that crippled operations on the ground.

Pensioner takes matters into her own hands

With no official communication from local government and no sign of progress, Mboyi chose not to wait. She saved from her pension grant, sourced her own materials, and began building.

Read also

"Basic alone is solid": Boni Xaba breaks down high earnings and perks of Metro cleaner with Grade 10

Her home is nearly done. Only exterior plastering remains, and she plans to move in by December. Eskom has indicated it cannot install electricity until the structure is fully waterproofed, meaning that final step stands between her and a connected home.

The frustration in the community runs deep. Local residents had tried to take initiative themselves, reportedly attempting to complete some of the stalled structures on their own. Municipal officials rejected those efforts in February, leaving residents with no path forward from either direction.

Mboyi's self-built home stands as a quiet act of defiance in a community still waiting for answers.

Speaking to Briefly News writer Nerissa Naidoo, commercial property expert Rajesperi Naidoo discussed the costs involved in building a basic home using personal savings:

"The cost depends on the size of the house, the materials used and where the person is building. A small, basic home can cost much less than a fully finished house, but people must remember to budget for more than just bricks and cement. They also need to think about labour, transport, roofing, windows, doors, plumbing and electricity. It is important to get a few quotes before starting so that you know what you can afford."

Read also

Durban High Court clears SARS to sell 5 Sandown properties linked to Shauwn Mkhize

More on SASSA pensioners and housing

• Briefly News recently reproted that a hidden bank cost could be reducing the foreign pensions received by South African retirees by thousands of rand each year.
• SASSA grant reviews are putting pressure on pensioners, with elderly beneficiaries making up most completed administrative reviews.
• A South African gogo became an online hit after taking a Tokoloshe prank seriously and trying to negotiate with the supposed ghost.

Source: Briefly News