A blind woman’s dream of owning a little piece of land for herself is nearly complete after she recently moved from her tiny shack into a brand-new house.
Western Cape Human Settlements Minister, Tertius Simmers, says his department is set to complete the final touches on the house of Mirtle Virrooi and her partner David “Klonkie” Koopman.
Mirtle first appeared in the news in 2016 when she lived in a one-room shack in Sophiatown informal settlement in Happy Valley.
She is one of the special case beneficiaries who was recently moved to Highbury in a new development of RDP houses.
MOVE IN: Mirtle and David Koopman in Highbury
Mirtle is blind and wheelchair-bound after suffering a back injury and says she is relieved to be in a “safer” environment.
“I can sleep peacefully here, there is no worry about fires breaking out due to illegal electricity connections or skelms coming into my shack when I’m alone to steal my money,” she says.
Minister Simmers says: “Prior to our arrival at the end of May 2019, a housing opportunity was committed to Ms Virrooi by March 2019.
“This was however not fulfilled as the Department could not get in contact with Ms Virrooi. This was due to a change in her contact details.
UNSAFE: Couple’s old shack
“In June 2019, there were also no units available that fitted her disability.
“Pursuant to all of these issues being addressed, Ms Virrooi moved in at the end of October 2019.
“Due to the emergency and urgent need to assist Ms Virrooi, she was moved into a house that has not been retrofitted.
“At the beginning of March 2020, the refurbishment of her home will however commence.”
Mirtle will get a wheelchair ramp, kicker plates for all doors, grab rails for the bathroom, lever-action taps and slip-resistant flooring.