Helping others to own property
Isaya Mukwevho said people should build and own their homes
In 2006, when numerous pieces of land in Mohlakeng were being auctioned off, Isaya Mukwevho developed a concept he called Owner/ Builder in which he encouraged Mohlakeng residents who could afford it to buy land and build the homes they desired. This would then develop into an area called Mohlakeng 5.
To this day, Isaya still recommends that even if it costs money, the Owner/Builder concept is always a good idea, as this way a person would not be tied to paying off a 20-year mortgage bond.
Explaining how the concept benefits people, Isaya said many people lose their jobs when companies get liquidated, and if they have mortgage bonds, they stand to lose their homes too, if they cannot keep up their repayments.
“When you build your own house, you know the cost of the material and negotiate with builders for labour cost,” he added.
Isaya said the people who benefit best from the concept are those who have been on the waiting list for RDP houses for years and years, and just cannot wait any longer. He said many of them end up in squatter camps because they are too poor to qualify for a bond, and too rich to qualify for an RDP house.
“Look at land invasions – they are not done by the poorest of the poor, but by those who are desperate for housing but trapped in that too poor/ too rich bracket. Sometimes they end up renting a room in someone’s backyard, possibly for the rest of their lives,” he said.
Isaya said warned of the risks that are involved in buying a portion of land, saying that people should be careful, as sometimes people sell a portion of land that does not belong to them, or a piece of land in a place that is not approved, or worse still, a place where you cannot even access amenities.
He concluded by saying that it is very important for people to build and own properties, as they will be empowered to progress and aspire to better things in life.
