MEC gives delighted recipients units in Tembisa’s new complex

Residents of the newly built flats in Tembisa on the East Rand were excited to have been awarded some of the
340 homes in the almost finished Clayville complex this week.

Limakatso Lebitsa, who lived in an informal settlement in Tembisa, said she was grateful and excited to have been one of the individuals who were successful in receiving a flat.

“I’ve been happy since last week Thursday after I received a call that I will be receiving a home. I waited patiently for 14 years for the day that finally came for me to receive a home where I will be living with my grandchildren,” Lebitsa said.

Milton Madlavu, a taxi driver who lived in an informal settlement called Madala, said he was happy to finally have a decent home.

“I lived in Madala since 1990. The crime rate was very high and where there was a litter problem. I am happy that I have a home in a decent area,” Madlavu said.

Gauteng MEC for human settlements, urban planning, cooperative governance and traditional affairs Lebogang Maile expressed his happiness about easing the housing backlog.

“We want to make sure the process of building houses moves quicker and want to do away with projects that are stalling and ultimately end up not being completed,” Maile said.

He said government was meeting its target based on the budget it was allocated and was moving swiftly with its building to avoid adding onto the existing backlog.

MEC Lebogang Maile handed over houses to Clayville mega housing beneficiaries at Tembisa, 14 April 2021. 340 homes were handed to the qualifying beneficiaries, senior citizens, youths from child-headed households and people with physical disabilities. Picture: Nigel Sibanda

“The preliminary figures for our housing target is on 99%. We are reaching our targets in terms of money that we have been given because targets are determined by the resources we have,” Maile said.

“We are declaring that in our term there will never be houses that are not finished on time and also declare that in our time we will never misuse money that is meant for houses because we take the housing backlog seriously,” he said.

The MEC said the recent Rabie Ridge land invasion attempts and protests were a sign that the housing backlog was concerning and out of control in Gauteng.

“The situation in Rabie Ridge was a demonstration of the magnitude of the problem we are faced with as government.

“The residents there are not the only angry people and that’s why their anger is perfectly understandable. People from Alexandra, Mamelodi, Soshanguve and Orange Farm are angry.

“Also in Emfuleni, where the situation was worse, and that’s why we will be going back on Tuesday next week with a team of multiple agencies with different skills to intervene decisively.”

–asandam@citizen.co.za