One of Khayelitsha’s tiniest women caught President Cyril Ramaphosa’s eye during a Women’s Day celebration held in Paarl last year.
To President Ramaphosa, Vuyokazi Vovo Nguqu, must have appeared to be a child who was just clamouring to have a selfie taken with him, but he was wrong.
Vovo, as she is affectionately known, is 30 years old. She was born with a chromosomal disorder and is only half a metre tall.
“I got a chance to speak to the president and told him about my situation. I told him I don’t have a house and he listened. His staff took my details and promised to get back to me,” she said.
Vovo never thought that her conversation with President Ramaphosa would yield any results.
“You know politicians have this tendency of listening to people and doing nothing after that,” said Vovo.
But earlier this year she got a pleasant surprise when goverment officials informed her that she was on the presidential priority list for housing.
The rest is history. On Wednesday morning, residents of Forest Glade in Mfuleni welcomed Vovo as their new neighbour.
Mzi Developments were contracted by Human Settlements to develop and build the area.
Khanyisa Singama from the developers said Vovo’s application came directly from the presidency and was handled by then MEC of Human Settlements Bonginkosi Madikizela.