100 housing units handed over to Lufhereng beneficiaries
In the mission to provide housing, the City has faced stern opposition in the form of land invaders.
Johannesburg MMC for Housing, Mlungisi Mabaso oversaw the handing-over ceremony of 100 Breaking New Ground Units in Lufhereng to the Lufhereng Integrated Housing Project beneficiaries on Thursday. Due to covid protocols, the event was held outdoors with a limited number of people allowed to attend, sanitizers and face masks were the order of the day as Mabaso addressed some of the present beneficiaries.
“I was shocked to find out that people who have applied from as far back as 96′ and 97′ had not been given their units. I had a meeting with colleagues and we agreed we needed to address this immediately. And so, the results of that meeting is what you see today, and we will not stop here, we are marching forward,” the MMC said.
Mabaso also revealed that wheels to provide land service stands have also begun turning forward.
“The building of houses is expensive and takes time, for us to deal with the backlog of housing, we can’t focus on one program. There has to be multiple programs, we want to upgrade informal settlements, give people title deeds, and before the end of this financial year, we want to provide serviced stands,” he said.
For the elderly who could not make it to the address, the MMC made a door-to-door visit, to personally welcome them to their new homes. 64-year-old Seal Ramakoka could hardly hold her tears, as she and her grandchildren moved into the new home.
“From 1996 I waited,” said a teary Ramokoka.
“I waited and waited, I’m very happy, in fact, I’m beyond happy. I have been staying here and there, renting from place to place, today, finally I have one to call my own.”
In the mission to provide housing, the City has faced stern opposition in the form of land invaders, MMC Mabaso though, assured residents that people who try to occupy land illegally would be punished.
“We will not bend to the will of criminals, there are good people who have been waiting years to get housing, and then a criminal will simply pop up and try to take it forcefully, we will not allow that and the law will play its role,” he reassured.
Mabasa and his team are set to return to Lufhereng in March 2021 to hand over title deeds to the new homeowners.
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