From Ashes to Legacy:
Rebuilding Hope for the Mabunda Family
A Community Act of Restoration in Palm Springs, Emfuleni Municipality, Gauteng Province
When fire took everything from the Mabunda family — their home, their belongings, and both their parents — SAWIC Gauteng refused to let their story end in tragedy. Through the leadership of then-Gauteng Chairperson Ms Sikelelwa Clara Sodlulashe-Mwenze, and the collective power of women in construction, a burnt shell became a brand new home — and a broken family found its footing again.
A Family Left with Nothing
In August 2014, the Mabunda family home in Palm Springs Section F, Emfuleni Municipality, was completely gutted by fire. The tragedy was devastating beyond words — the family's father lost his life in the blaze, and the children had already endured the loss of their mother to illness prior to the fire. Elder son Tebogo was left to care for his younger siblings with nothing but the clothes on their backs that day. For nearly four years, the family survived on the generosity of neighbours and the community, who provided shelter, food, and clothing. During that time, what remained of the original structure was stripped to bare scrap — leaving an empty shell where a home once stood.
SAWIC Answers the Call
In September 2018, the plight of the Mabunda family reached the ears of Ms Sikelelwa Clara Sodlulashe-Mwenze, then Chairperson of SAWIC Gauteng and now President of SAWIC nationally. Without hesitation, she mobilised the full strength of the SAWIC Gauteng leadership and its network of women-owned co-operatives and construction companies. True to the ethos of SAWIC — that women in construction exist not only to build structures, but to build communities — the decision was made to give the Mabunda family more than temporary relief. They would build them a brand new home.
Women Who Build More Than Walls
Construction commenced in October 2018, powered by an extraordinary coalition of SAWIC co-operatives and partner companies who donated their skills, labour, and materials to the project. From the first meal shared on site in September to the final ceiling installation certified by Saint-Gobain, every brick laid carried the spirit of ubuntu and the determination of women who understand that transformation begins at home. The project brought together over twenty organisations, including Sikies Transport & Projects, Ntando Thando Group, Basadi Together Construction, and many more — proof that when women lead, communities are rebuilt from the inside out.
Hope Restored, Legacy Secured
On 11 December 2018, in an emotional handover ceremony attended by community leaders, SAWIC executives, ward councillors, and SANCO representatives, the keys to a brand new home were placed in Tebogo Mabunda's hands. Through tears, Tebogo spoke of a journey defined by grief, uncertainty, and near-hopelessness — and of how SAWIC Gauteng had turned that chapter into one of restoration and renewed purpose. "I'm grateful. SAWIC brought hope and the Mabunda generation and legacy is secured," he said. That day in Palm Springs was a reminder of what SAWIC has always stood for: that giving back does not only uplift those in need — it strengthens the social fabric of every community it touches.
This project was completed in December 2018 under the leadership of SAWIC Gauteng Chairperson Ms Sikelelwa Clara Sodlulashe-Mwenze, with support from SAWIC Co-Operatives, community stakeholders, and materials partners Saint-Gobain and Freds Hardware.
Gauteng Elective PAGM attended by the 4 NOB members, President, Deputy President, DSG & Treasurer General 2021-2024
Gauteng General Meeting
