Beneficiaries receive title deeds from MEC
"I am thankful to the MEC and our government for caring for us."
To put words into action, the provincial MEC for human settlements, Mr Andries Gamede handed over about 1 000 title deeds to community members in the Gert Sibande District Municipality.
This handover formed part of a campaign to issue them as legal beneficiaries in the province. Gamede, who, since taking over this critical department, has promised efficiency, transparency and speedy housing delivery, once again indicated the importance of having title deeds.
“We will continue with this programme and roll it over to other districts to enable our people to have these title deeds,” he said.
Since 1994 the department has registered and handed over nearly 80 000 deeds to beneficiaries throughout the province.
“They help you to secure your home for your children,” added Gamede. With regard to building quality houses, he said he was saddened to see people being made to accept shoddy housing units, but vowed to change this.
Mpumalanga Mirror spoke to some of the excited beneficiaries.
“I have been waiting for a long time to receive a title deed. I am happy that I am one of the many recipients and the fact that I have received it while I am still alive,” said Ms Philisiwe Thabethe.
She added that she was now at peace, knowing that her family wouldn’t be forcefully removed from their home because they now had documents to prove that it belonged to them.
“I am thankful to the MEC and our government for caring for us. I never thought that this day would come,” said the 51-year-old Ms Fikile Ndlovu.
The department has so far managed to deliver 1 785 deeds during the first quarter of the 2013/14 fiscal year. This delivery takes into consideration performance by the achievements of new contractors delivering through the province’s rapid-implementation unit which mainly looks at the execution of government- infrastructure projects.
Gamede is currently on a campaign to undertake project monitoring and engage with all municipalities to ensure quality housing delivery throughout the province. So far, he has visited Mkhondo, Thaba Chweu, Bushbuckridge and Nkomazi local municipalities. The department has been allocated R1,3 billion for this financial year with 95 per cent (R1,1 billion) of it dedicated to the delivery 14 681 houses.
