Joy as Joburg Mayor Mashaba hands out title deeds
10 October 2016
This is the best present the City of Johannesburg has given me as I prepare to retire," 63-year-old Nancefield resident Mary van Wyk said after receiving the title deed to her three-bedroom home from Johannesburg Executive Mayor Cllr Herman Mashaba at the Albertus Pop Recreation Centre in Eldorado Park on Monday October 10.
Van Wyk was one of five elderly Johannesburg residents who were handed their title deeds by the Mayor on the day.
"I'm so happy… This is such a blessing. Now I can retire with no worries. I own my home now," she said.
Van Wyk, who has lived in her three-bedroom home for 28 years, said it was the best day of her life.
The other four recipients were Denise Mavis Timm, 62, of Eldorado Extension 7, Allen Parkies, 59, also of Extension 10, Priscilla Dawn Mintoor, 62, of Extension 2 and Lorraine Louisa Jacobs, 61.
Timm said she had lived in her house since 1998 with her late granddaughter. Now she shares it with her two sons and grandchildren.
“This is the best day of my life. I've been waiting for this day and today I have Mayor Mashaba to thank. My family and I are very grateful for this,” she said.
For Parkie, after waiting for 27 years to claim ownership of her property, Monday was the end of a very long process.
“I'm so glad that there will no longer be any up-and-downs trying to resolve this. Since 2012 I've been trying to resolve this title-deed issue and finally it’s over,” Parkie said.
Mayor Mashaba told the packed hall that his administration was committed to empowering the people and title deeds were the first step to achieving that.
He said as he had promised ahead of the August 3 local government elections, the City would finalise the housing waiting list within 60 days.
He encouraged residents to register for houses as this would help his administration to end corruption in the allocation of houses.
“We are here acting on the mandate you gave us. This is a government for everyone, even those who did not vote for us. Today, I am here with my colleague MMC [Mzobanzi ] Ntuli to give you the title deeds you should have received a long time ago. This is the beginning of a journey to provide opportunities, fast-track service delivery, tackle unemployment and fight corruption,” Mayor Mashaba said.
He also appealed to civil society to hold his administration accountable and urged those receiving title deeds not to sell their houses.
He promised the community regular updates on major projects, including programmes to tackle drug and alcohol addiction, the upgrading of a local old age home and unemployment.
The handover was also witnessed by Development and Planning MMC Richard Funzela Ngobeni, Section 79 Housing Chairperson Cllr Suzanne Clarke, Council Speaker Vasco da Gama, top housing officials and local councillors.