Mnquma Local Municipality executive mayor, Tunyiswa Manxila-Nkamisa, has handed over three houses to three families, two from Reservoir Hill near Yako Informal Settlement, and another from Rwantsana Village in Centane, which the municipality built to address the housing needs of its most vulnerable citizens.
The recipients of the newly-built and fully-furnished homes were Robert Ntonga (73) from Rwantsana, whose house was destroyed by bad weather, 19-year-old Mihlali Mafu, who is the eldest of four siblings left orphaned with no place to call home after their mother died in 2019, and Siyasamkela Toli, who lives with a disability having been born with deformed limbs.
The municipality said the houses were built through its special programmes unit which is responsible for providing support to vulnerable groups, such as elderly citizens, women, children and people with disabilities.
The municipality spent R450 000 on each house.
“We congratulate the three families that received new homes. As a municipality we are proud of our special programmes unit for having identified the families working with the Department of Social Development and its agency, the South African Social Security Agency,” said Manxila-Nkamisa as she officially handed over the houses.
She further urged recipients to take good care of the houses.
Housing recipients have unanimously expressed gratitude to Mnquma Local Municipality for having addressed their housing needs.
“As the Mafu family we wish to express our gratitude to the municipality for building us a house fully fitted with furniture. This is a life-changing day for us to have a place to call home, and we can now focus on our studies without worrying about shelter,” said Mihlali Mafu.
“Today, I am a proud resident of Reservoir Hill thanks to Mnquma Local Municipality. Our days of renting in other people’s houses are over, and we can now channel those funds we spent on rent towards the upkeep of our new house,” said Sithandiwe Goniwe, wife to Siyasamkela Toli.
The official handover of the three houses was held on November 2.
