September 29, 2004
By Lucky Sindane
OVER 5 000 council-owned township houses in Gauteng have been transferred to their new owners since June 2004 and government plans to hand over many more within the next 18 months
On Tuesday, premier Mbhazima Shilowa emphasised the urgency of transferring ownership from government to residents during the handing over of title deeds in Eldorado Park.
Shilowa, the MEC for housing, Nomvula Mokonyane, and the Johannesburg mayoral committee member for housing, Strike Ralegoma, officially handed over the title deeds to 15 families who have been living in council-owned houses in Eldorado Park.
Hundreds of community members filled the Eldorado Park Civic Centre in Extension 5 to witness the transfer of ownership.
Shilowa, in his speech, said a lot of work had been done in townships to transfer ownership of council-owned houses but the process had been very slow in areas like Lenasia, Eldorado Park, Krugersdorp and Troyeville.
"Over the next 18 months people around Gauteng will have title deeds. The City of Johannesburg should speed up the process because it's a matter of urgency."
In Eldorado Park approval has been given so far for the transfer of deeds to 350 families.
One of the happy recipients, 68-year-old Joane Sarlie, said: "I've been staying in that house since 1965 and finally it's mine. I'm very happy and I want to thank the council for the great things they are doing for us."
Mokonyane's spokesperson, Mongezi Mnyani, added that many of the people who were receiving ownership of the houses had rented the accommodation for a long time as part of the apartheid system of "own affairs".
"Everybody whose title deeds have been approved needs to come forward because we are going to write off everything they owe," Mnyani added.
While more than 5 000 council-owned houses around Gauteng had already been transferred to their new owners since June 2004, many more would be handed over within the next 18 months, according to Mnyani.
The departments of housing still had many more deeds to issue, according to Mnyani. "It's an economic necessity for disadvantaged people who don't have title deeds," said Mnyani. "It is on top of our agenda in our department."
One problem facing the provincial government was the unauthorised sale of some of the council-owned houses. Said 63-year-old William Petersen, at the official handover: "I'm very happy but I'm worried whether I'll get my money back because I had bought the house."
Mnyani urged Petersen, and others like him, to notify the department of housing. "Residents with such cases should come to our offices and we'll see how to deal with the matter," said Mnyani.
For more information about housing issues, contact the information hub on 0800 1 HOUSE (46873) - available from 8am to 5pm every weekday
Permission to use web site material
Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as:
- Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website
(www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency
(www.joburg.org.za)";
- If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original
article on this website;
- The name of the article's author is acknowledged;
-
The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill
in this brief online form).
Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400 |
