By Staff Reporter
BELLEVUE – Deep in the rural heart of Bellevue Village, a heartbreaking story of resilience and survival unfolds. Twin sisters, Refiloe and Kedibone Mokhaukhau (35), who are both mentally challenged, live in unimaginable poverty and isolation without parents, guardians, or proper government support.
The two sisters were left to fend for themselves after the passing of their parents years ago. Their only surviving sibling, Namajabo Mokhaukhau (27), was forced to drop out of school in Grade 8 to look after his sisters and manage the household chores. Together, they live in a dilapidated two-room house, struggling to make ends meet.
Refiloe survives on a disability grant, while her twin, Kedibone, remains without any form of income because she has no identification document (ID). Despite countless visits to the Department of Home Affairs in Giyani since 2023, her efforts to obtain an ID have been unsuccessful.
A concerned neighbour reached out to Tzaneen Voice to share the family’s painful reality.
“I am a concerned neighbour. Their parents are deceased. Home Affairs in Giyani has been sending them from pillar to post,” the neighbour explained. “She was born in 1989 here in Bellevue. Both sisters are mentally challenged, and their late mother, who also struggled with mental illness, only applied for the birth certificate of one twin. The other has been forgotten by the system.”
The neighbour further revealed that attempts to get assistance from social workers have failed. The twins’ living conditions continue to deteriorate, and they often wander the streets asking for food, with little to no proper hygiene or supervision.
Tzaneen Voice also contacted the local councillor, Ward Councillor Nteme Maake, who confirmed awareness of the situation.
“Yes, I know about the twins. The matter of the ID was being handled by a CDW named Tabane, who was working with the Giyani branch of Home Affairs,” he said.
Despite the councillor’s awareness, the case appears to have stalled, leaving the sisters trapped in a cycle of poverty and neglect. Their application for an RDP house has also not yielded any positive results, even though they qualify.
“Yes, they do qualify for an RDP house. They are orphans and currently staying in an old two-room mud house,” Cllr Maake added.
He further stated that he is still waiting for the allocation of RDP houses in the area.
Every day, Refiloe and Kedibone face the harsh realities of life — hunger, vulnerability, and rejection — in a world that seems to have forgotten them. Their only wish is simple but powerful: for Kedibone to finally receive her ID, so she can access the disability grant and live with dignity.
The Mokhaukhau siblings need urgent intervention from Home Affairs, social workers, and compassionate citizensbefore their story becomes another forgotten tragedy in rural Limpopo.
Anyone who can assist the family with food, clothing, or helping Kedibone obtain her ID may contact Tzaneen Voice for further coordination.
