Happy birthday Madiba so sang the world and it was jubilation across the Emfuleni region as the world icon was celebrated, and for one destitute grandfather, a ray of hope shone on him. Faith Gospel Ministries under the leadership of Bishop Vuyisile Ndlebende donated over a hundred blankets to keep the cold at bay to the destitute elderly people and further furnished his house.

However all this will be in vain as the old man has been deprived of enjoying his ageing for quite some time. Johannes Mokoena who is believed to be eighty-three years, suffers from a hearing problem and has been living alone at a dilapidated house without electricity, the only relatives he has are said to be living in a dump and come home seldom. To make matters worse, he has no identity document. On that day elderly citizens converged at his home in Zone 7 to spend their sixty seven minutes with him.

One volunteer said “we have been sent from pillar to post by the authorities as they have done little to remedy the situation. It takes a week if not a month for Illegal immigrants to get legal documents yet an old man who has been in the country for over three decade is struggling”.

A frail-looking Mokoena pleaded “All I ask is a chance to be granted an identity document which I believe I am entitled to, so that, I too, can live like other elders. How long must I suffer?” he asked.

#No response was forthcoming at time of going to blog from the authorities.