Thirty-eight title deeds were handed over to Kayamandi residents, making them the legal owners of the properties they live in.
Stuart Grobbelaar the Stellenbosch Municipality communications manager explained that the handover, which took place on 26 August, involved government-constructed and government-owned houses from recent developments to those built in the 1980s and 1990s.
While residents occupied the properties as beneficiaries, the government had been their legal owners, Grobbelaar added.
“The people living in that house never legally own that house,” he said.
Hilda Mbombo is happy to be among the residents who received their title deeds in Kayamandi, through the municipality’s title deed handover drive that promotes home ownership. PHOTO: Kwanda Mkhonto
Dispelling the idea that this may be part of an electioneering campaign, Grobbelaar said this was the third title deed handover this year and that deeds had been handed over many times over the years, and across mayoral administrations.
“Since 2014 there have been well over 5 000 title deeds transferred to the rightful owners across the municipal area,” he said.
The concern with having no title deed is leaving the children behind with no home, said Hilda Mbombo, one of the elderly residents who received the title deed to her property.
The Gxilishes receive the title deed to their house last week in the Stellenbosch Municipality’s title deed handover. This is after three decades of living in the house. PHOTO: Kwanda Mkhonto
Mzuvukie and Nomonde Gxilishe, who got their house before 1994, said that they were delighted to finally receive the title deed.
“I title deed lena siyifumeneyo iyasiqinisekisa ukuba izindlu ezi zezethu [the title deed that we received gives us assurance that the house is ours],” said Nomonde Gxilishe.
Nombulelo Swarts is finally the owner of the house she has been living in for many years after the Stellenbosch Municipality handed over 38 title deeds to Kayamandi households on 26 Wednesday. PHOTO: Kwanda Mkhonto
The process to get a title deed has involved a number of visits to the housing department, said Nombulelo Swarts one of the Kayamandi residents who received the title deed.
Now that she has the deed, she said, her children also have a home and she won’t consider selling — even if an interested party comes along.
However, said Grobbelaar, it is sometimes difficult to locate the rightful owner of a property to whom the deed should be given, particularly if people have passed away, if there have been changes within the family, or if they have moved.
The municipality has partnered with the Free Market Foundation — an organisation which promotes private ownership and freedom of enterprise in South Africa — which has helped the municipality to accelerate the process, said Grobbelaar.