Three families get new houses in Hammanskraal
“Some of these families’ houses burnt due to power surges, while another family lived in a one-room shack which collapsed because it was built on a wetland.”
Cogta MEC Lebogang Maile, Chippa Holding and the Chippa United F.C. handed over houses to three disadvantaged families in Hammanskraal on Monday.
Two families’ were identified after their houses were burnt during loadshedding last year.
The other one was identified by the MEC during local government campaigning as a child-headed family who was living in a shack.
Maile said the houses were built by the Chairman of Chippa Holdings, Siviwe Mpengesi after he was alerted by community leaders to the plight of these families.
“The beneficiaries include people living with disabilities and members of child-headed families.
“Some of these families’ houses burnt due to power surges, while another family lived in a one-room shack which collapsed because it was built on a wetland.”
Maile said it was not the government’s money that was used to build the house but those of private individuals.
“I don’t want to appear as doing favours for people because, as you know, there are a lot of people who need houses and all of them are poor, so you can’t say you give to this one and not this one.
Maile said they were very excited with their partnership with Chippa Holdings and many other partnerships they have as the provincial government because they help to alleviate the housing issue in the province.
“We have a huge backlog of about 1 million people who need houses in Gauteng. We will not be able on our own as the government to eradicate that backlog.
“Though we have a multi-prong approach of giving people RDP houses, doing social housing, bonded houses and giving people land that is serviced, this intervention is very important because it helps us as the government to move faster to dealing with these challenges we are facing,” Maile said.
“I want to congratulate the recipients of these houses and we want to call on them not to sell these houses.”
One of the beneficiaries, Grace Msimango – who shares the house with 12 other family members – said she was very happy.
“Our parents passed away and I am the only one who is looking after the children. We live on piece jobs so I can take care of them.
“We got this previous house as an RDP but it was burnt after we fell asleep while the candle was on during loadshedding,” she said.
“We are very happy to receive this house, I don’t know whether to cry or scream. I just want to thank everyone who made this possible for us.”
Another beneficiary, who lives in the child-headed family, Nkele Modiba, said they were staying in a shack before they received the house.
“My mother passed away in 2019. We are seven in the house and living in a shack is very difficult because the shack can collapse at any time.
“If the shack does not collapse, the rain usually manages to get in. We feel really happy about getting this house.”
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