The MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements, and Traditional Affairs(COGTA), Patrick Maloyi along with Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality Executive Mayor, Councillor Khumalo Molefe, Mayor of Ratlou Local Municipality, Councillor Matlhomola Jafta and Kgosi Lucky Gontse, recently handed over two houses to an elderly woman and a child-headed family at Setlhatlhwe village near Setlagole in the Ratlou Local Municipality.
This initiative is part of the departments' on-going efforts to address blocked projects in the North West Province. One of the beneficiaries, 87-year-old Mieta Mahobe, is a pensioner living with her seven children and 27 grandchildren. Mahobe’s children are unemployed, relying solely on her pension. The pension money is insufficient to support the entire family.
During the handover, Maloyi urged Mahobe’s children to ensure the well-being of their mother’s new home. “This is a legacy for your children and grandchildren, and no one is going to take it away from you. We give people the opportunity to own homes and also provide for future generations. "What we are doing today is responding to the call our people made in the Freedom Charter years ago that all people shall have the right to live where they choose and bring up families in comfort and security,” said Maloyi.
Another beneficiary, 32-year-old Phineas Ngwenya, who survives by doing odd jobs, expressed gratitude, saying: “I would like to thank the Department of Human Settlements for what they have done for us. I can’t wait to move into the house because we have waited for a long time for this home.” Maloyi stated that it is the government's responsibility to prioritise the elderly, child-headed families, and disabled individuals, restoring their dignity, as stipulated in the Bill of Rights, to guarantee housing for all.
He also called on the management of the North West Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements, and Traditional Affairs to ensure that contractors enhance service delivery by expediting unblocked projects and issuing title deeds across the province. While acknowledging progress, Maloyi expressed dissatisfaction with the sluggish pace of the projects.
He urged managers to closely monitor all projects, intervening in challenges faced by contractors to prevent delays. Additionally, he stressed the need to appoint efficient contractors to ensure timely project completion and handover. “We have introduced contractors and had sessions with them to say we want them on site immediately so that we hand over these houses to their beneficiaries. You are, therefore, expected to work around the clock throughout the festive season to ensure that when we extend the scope of contractors who have the capacity,” said Maloyi.
Maloyi added that managers must ensure the prompt handover of title deeds, not only focusing on unblocked projects. He reiterated that it is the department's responsibility to ensure that communities have roofs over their heads and own the properties they reside in.
