UITENHAGE - OVER 2000 TITLE DEEDS HANDED OUT TO COMMUNITY FROM TIRYVILLE, ROSEDALE AND SURROUNDING AREAS

Human Settlements Minister, Lindiwe Sisulu, and Nelson Mandela Bay Mayor Danny Jordaan handed over title deeds to residents from Rosedale and Tiryville, amongst other poor areas in Uitenhage.

According to the municipality, over 2,000 title deeds were handed over to government-subsidised housing beneficiaries in Uitenhage at an event at the Uitenhage Indoor Sports Centre on Thursday.

Sisulu encouraged residents not to sell their homes, adding that it was a long-term investment for generations to come.

She said that the Eastern Cape, and specifically Nelson Mandela Bay, had the most houses built compared to the rest of the country.

The city had for a long time faced challenges of rampant corruption in housing allocation, with many occupying houses that did not rightfully belong to them.

Distribution of the title deeds aims to curb the problem and forms part of the metro’s dignity programme.

"We made it compulsory that you hold on to the house and title deed for at least eight years..if you find yourself in difficulty, don’t sell your house, that title deed has value," said Sisulu.

Looking at rectification of housing, the minister said that government would no longer be taken for granted by the construction industry and would make sure homes built incorrectly were rectified.

"We had to take care of the houses we already built from 1994 to 1998, that’s what we called the rectification programme, the burden and responsibility was on us. The actual rectification started in 2000, those houses we built from 1994 to 2000 we were responsible for. Anything after that is the responsibility of the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) to bring the builder to come and fix the problem."

"We are making contractors understand that there is a penalty for not building properly, so we are bringing them to make sure that they rectify those houses they have built. As government, we have decided that we have been taken for granted by the construction industry, we are no longer going ahead with helping them, but what is our responsibility, we grabbing the private sector at the scruff of the neck to make sure those houses are rectified," said Sisulu.

Responding to a question, Sisulu said that houses were valued at around R152,000, but when sold could go up to R1,000,000.

"When they sell them and they need permission to sell them, they could go up to R1,000,0000 from what we have given them. So it’s a huge investment for someone who has had nothing, to be able to hand over to their child R1,000,000 of value," she said.

Jordaan said that R103 million was allocated for housing in the "big problem" area of Lapland, with an additional R26 million for Rosedale, R18 million for Kabah and R6.7 million for Despatch.

He said that people often perceived that the metro forgot about residents in Uitenhage but this was not the case.

Meanwhile, 65-year old Mona Joseph was in tears after she received a title deed for the first time after living in her Rosedale home with her husband Ronnie for 41 years.

"I am very proud, after all these years. We did apply several times but nothing ever happened. We look after our house and we maintain it," said Joseph.

However, ward 45 (Tiryville) committee member Christeline Hartlief was not impressed and said that the condition of her house was in dire straits.

She said she complained every month to the ward councillor about the "leaks and cracks" but nothing happened.

"I’m very unhappy about how my house looks, so how can I be happy about a title deed? I also don’t understand how people from Silvertown who live in shacks, are here to fetch title deeds. It does not make sense," said Hartlief.

Meanwhile, the event saw residents signing for title deeds with one hand, while on the other asking for ANC t-shirts.

A government official, who refused to provide his name when asked, condemned people distributing free t-shirts and told them that it was a "government event".

Municipality spokesperson, Mthubanzi Mniki, said that members of the public would not be turned away if they attended wearing a political t-shirt.

"This is a government programme, we will advise members that they must maintain that, however we can’t turn people away if they come wearing a political t-shirt," said Mniki.

VIA - algoafm.co.za