There is no greater feeling than having a well-built house – fitted with proper ablution facilities, electricity and running water – as a home.
On Saturday, last week, 850 beneficiaries, including prioritised groups, were allocated their brand new four-roomed homes in Tsakane Extension 22.
The homes comprise two bedrooms, a bathroom fitted with a toilet, basin and bath tub, a lounge and a kitchen with electricity and running water.
“Today feels like my birthday,” said one of the beneficiaries, 89-year-old Christina Sesi Maseko.
“All of my life I have been squatting with relatives and recently I have been staying with my daughter, who received her own house in Tsakane Extension Nine.
“Now I am relieved that my children finally have a place they can call home.
“I can now die in peace knowing that they will have a roof over their heads.”
The R60-million Tsakane Extension 22 housing project is a partnership between Ekurhuleni and the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements.
Beneficiaries stem from various communities in Tsakane, KwaThema, Eden Park and Duduza, who have been on the housing waiting list.
The Member of Mayoral Committee for Human Settlements in Ekurhuleni, Clr Aubrey Nxumalo, emphasised the metro’s commitment to ensuring all residents live in dignified conditions.
“The City of Ekurhuleni is committed to working tirelessly to deliver essential services to its citizenry,” he said.
“Today’s programme is a symbol depicting a municipality that cares and listens to the needs of the community, and this process could not have been a success if you did not afford us adequate time to finalise all the logistics that were necessary to see this project come to fruition.”
All of the beneficiaries, including the elderly, people living with disabilities, child-headed households and military veterans, officially moved into their new homes on Monday, with the assistance of officials from both the local and provincial offices of human settlements.
Nxumalo announced that the new development will also enjoy the adequate allocation of community services, such as a clinic, early childhood development centres, recreational parks, a library, taxi ranks, a business centre, places of worship and their own nearby customer care centre, in the future.
The Tsakane Extension 22 project will have 4 117 households.
In the current phase of 850 stands, 425 houses have been completed and the other 425 are under construction and have already been provided with water and sewer services.
In addition, there are plans in place to rename Tsakane Extension 22 after the late Caiphus Sambo in the coming months.
This will be done in honour of Sambo, who was the first MMC for Human Settlements for Ekurhuleni and who dedicated endless hours to seeing to the dream of proper housing for all.
