EMLM hands out title deeds
ENOCH Mgijima Municipality executive mayor Lindiwe Gunuza-Nkwenstha and Human Settlements manager, Liseka Bam handed over title deeds of RDP houses to community members last Thursday at the Mzingisi Skhweyiya community hall in Mlungisi.
Gunuza-Nkwentsha said communities had been complaining about the ownership of their houses for a long time and that it was “high time” for people to get the assurance that the houses they lived in were their homes forever.
“We are here today to give the people of our communities their dignity back by giving them tangible proof of ownership of their homes.
“We realised that the lack of distribution of title deeds to the people has caused a rift in many families, especially in a situation where the owner of the house had died.”
She said the local authority had to deal with situations where a family member would sell the house without the consent of other relatives.
“Now we want to ensure that all the beneficiaries’ names appear on the family file to curb the unauthorised sale of houses and prevent family tiffs.”
While 200 title deeds, which were meant for people from Bhongweni, Nkululekweni, Thula Ndivile and R and T sections, were brought to the event, only three could be handed over.
Bam attributed the bad turnout of title deed recipients to the weather, urging those who were present at the hand-over to inform other beneficiaries.
Title deed recipient Ntombizodwa Guga said she was happy to have her title deed.
“I now have proof of ownership of my home. The house is my children and grandchildren’s legacy that I will leave for them when I die.”
Community member Khanyiswa Class from Mbengo asked Gunuza-Nkentsha about a house that belonged to her late grandfather and had been sold without the family’s consent. She wanted to know how she could get it back.
The mayor indicated that such problems should be reported to the municipality’s human settlements department.
Gunuza-Nkwentsha said the delays in the hand-over were due to a mix-up when title deeds belonging to a particular municipality had been sent to another.
“Title deeds these days don’t take long so the next batch of people who have applied will receive them as soon as they get their houses.”