New home for family of eight

Municipal and provincial authorities joined hands to hand over a new house to a family of eight in Modimolle.

The Limpopo MEC for CoGHSTA Basikopo Makamu accompanied by the Executive Mayor of Waterberg District Municipality, Morris Mataboge and the Mayor of Modimolle Mookgophong Municipality, Marlene Van Staden recently handed over the house to the Koka family.

The family of eight now has a place they can proudly call home, after the government gave them a fully-furnished two bedroom house.

Anna Koka of extension 13 (known as Jasper) in Modimolle is a single mother, who used to stay with her three siblings and her four children in a one-roomed shack.

Koka, who is the eldest among her siblings, was left with the responsibility to take care of the family when her parents passed on in 2012.

Speaking during the handing over, MEC Makamu said the department continues to implement what is stated in the Freedom Charter which was adopted in 1955.

“It is stated in the Freedom Charter that there shall be houses, security and comfort for all. We have come a long way since the attainment of our democracy. When we started building RDP
Houses, no one knew that one day we will build these modern houses roofed with tiles,” he said.

The MEC acknowledged the company which built the house, Mikateko Trading Enterprise for doing sterling work.

Makamu emphasised that under his leadership, he will ensure that the department does not leave room for contractors that will not be able to honour their contracts.

Apart from the handover of this designer house, the leadership also planted trees and handed over 15 grocery vouchers from Sassa each worth R1 500 to deserving community members.

The beneficiary of the house, Anna Koka, was head over heels and thanked the government for restoring her family’s dignity.

Mayor Marlene Van Staden said the beneficiaries of the housing project are qualifying residents who were previously allocated a plot in Extension 13.

The recently-built houses have tiled roofs and aerolite insulation which offers high resistance to the flow of temperature.

“This housing development is part of an area that is in the process of being electrified by the municipality, and soon the homes will be connected to the bulk water and sewer infrastructure that was installed two years ago,” she said.

— The BEAT