Maseyisini – Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla has called on Emaswati to promote peace, unity and responsible behaviour during the festive season. She made the plea yesterday while presiding over the handover of four newly built houses to vulnerable families in the Maseyisini and Methula Tinkhundla. The project was coordinated by the National Disaster Management Agency.
Dladla told communities that excessive alcohol consumption continues to fuel gender based violence across the country and urged citizens to practise moderation and look out for one another as holiday celebrations begin.
Photo credit: DPMO
The first family to receive a house was that of Mkhulu Jabulani Mdluli, aged sixty one, and his wife at Ntandweni in Maseyisini. The couple had been staying in a collapsing stick and mud structure. Mdluli became emotional as he accepted the keys, saying the new home marks a turning point for their household. 
A second home was handed to twenty nine year old Wandile Gumbi, a visually impaired man from Vusweni in Maseyisini. He had lived in pipes and later in a deteriorating rented space after being forced out by relatives. Gumbi thanked the DPM for her support toward people living with disabilities. Dladla noted that one in every five houses built for vulnerable families will be reserved for persons with disabilities and further committed to providing him with fencing and indigenous chickens to support his livelihood.
Photo credit: DPMO
The third house went to a child headed family of ten siblings and their six children at Methula, who had been sharing a small stick and mud room. Twenty one year old Sikhulile Dlamini welcomed the improved living conditions and said the family now feels safer. The DPM promised life skills training to help them become self sufficient.
The final house was presented to Simangele Simelane, a forty three year old mother of six, also from Methula. Her family had been living in a leaking structure and often sought shelter with neighbours during storms. She said the new home restores dignity and provides security for her children.
Dladla noted that the initiative aims to support vulnerable families with safe housing while helping them work towards stability and improved livelihoods. She encouraged communities to approach the festive season with kindness and cooperation while continuing to protect those who are most at risk.
