In fulfilling the commitment to accelerate the delivery of houses, over 318 newly built houses were handed over to beneficiaries at the Droogeheuwel Mega Project in the Rand West Local Municipality in Gauteng.
Gauteng MEC for Human Settlements, Tasneem Motara, handed over the newly built houses on Thursday.
“The housing handover forms part of the Gauteng Government's 7th Administration commitment to accelerating housing delivery, restoring dignity to communities, and expanding access to secure tenure across the province,” said the provincial department.
MEC Motara reaffirmed the Gauteng Government's commitment to improving the lives of residents through the provision of quality housing and security of tenure.
"Today, we are handing over 318 houses to rightful beneficiaries at the Droogeheuwel Mega Project. We thank residents for their patience throughout this process. These homes are intended to provide families with a safe and secure place to live and build a future for their children. They are not meant for leasing or rental purposes," said Motara.
Also speaking at the handover ceremony, Rand West Local Municipality Executive Mayor, William Matsheke, congratulated the beneficiaries and urged them to take care of their homes, describing them as valuable assets that can create generational wealth for their families.
"We remain committed to ensuring that communities have access to essential social amenities, including schools, clinics, police stations and early childhood development centres," said Matsheke.
The MEC further emphasised the importance of ensuring that government housing is allocated to qualifying beneficiaries. This as the Auditor-General has called on the department to strengthen its processes to ensure that houses are allocated to the rightful beneficiaries.
She said the department will continue to monitor and safeguard the integrity of the housing allocation process.
Motara also encouraged residents to pay for municipal services and urged those who are unable to afford their municipal accounts to register for the municipality's indigent support programme.
"If you are struggling to pay your municipal bills, please approach the municipality and register for the indigent programme so that you can receive the necessary assistance," she added.
The MEC concluded by highlighting the value of homeownership and the responsibility that comes with it.
"These houses are valuable assets. A home of this nature in some established suburbs could cost more than R1 million, yet government provides it to qualifying beneficiaries at no cost. However, the value of these homes can only be preserved if we take pride in them, maintain them properly, and keep our communities clean," said Motara.
One of the beneficiaries, Nompumelelo Mofokeng (56), expressed her joy at finally receiving the keys to her new home after waiting for nearly three decades.
"I am extremely excited because I was beginning to lose hope after applying for a house in 1996. Today, my children and I finally have a place we can call home," said Mofokeng. -SAnews.gov.za
