The Tshwane metro has embarked on a new programme that will see those on the RDP house waiting lists receiving empty, but fully serviced stands with water, electricity and a title deed to the land on which they can erect their own shacks.
The metro bought land all across Tshwane for this purpose, residents of Mamelodi were told. Addressing disgruntled Mamelodi residents, some of whom had been waiting 15 years for an RDP house, Tshwane Executive Mayor Kgosiento Ramokgopa announced the programme, describing it as the “formalising of informal settlements”.
Ramokgopa, accompanied by the Mayoral Committee, Chief Whip Jabulani Mabona and several councillors, attended an Imbizo in Mamelodi East at the Stanza Bopape grounds earlier this month.
The mayor listened to the people’s concerns and wrote them down, promising to take their complaints seriously.
He also explained to members of the community how the municipality spent their money and most importantly, he touched on the issue of RDP houses.
Some members of the community alleged that they had been waiting for houses since 1996 and were still waiting.
Ramokgopa used the opportunity to promise those on the RDP waiting list a “much better plan than waiting for an RDP house from the government”.
Speaking to the community, Ramokgopa said that there was a new programme called formalisation of informal settlements – the relocation of people who were in distress areas to land that the metro had bought across Tshwane.
All those who had registered for RDP houses would instead receive a stand from the metro, which would build roads for them, name the streets, give them stand numbers, install running water, electricity, sanitation and give them a tittle deed to their property.
They would not, however, be given a house. “And all people need to do is to come with their shack and put them up on their stands. As time goes on, they can build their own houses when have money. This way they won’t have to wait forever for an RDP house” said Ramokgopa.
Margaret Rakololo (29) from Mamelodi East, who is on the waiting list for RDP houses, said she was very happy with the new plan the city was working on and hoped they acted fast. “I love the plan to give people stands instead of waiting for RDP houses. I hope it works. “Actions speak louder than words, they must act and stop talking.”
MMC of Housing, Joshua Ngonyama, said people sometimes forgot what the government did for them.
“All those who applied for houses between 1996 to 1999 and who have Form C will receive stands from the metro. We have noted some of their problems and written them down and we will attend to them as soon as possible,” Ngonyama explained.
Maria Mthethwa (56) said she was also very pleased that the mayor himself explained how the city spent their money and that she had learnt many things about the Tshwane metro, but expressed the hope that the metro would keep its promises.
