Cape Town - A 78-year-old Gugulethu businessman, who has been trading for 41 years, says he can now die happy after finally receiving the title deed to his small business property.
Njoli Jack opened his shoe repair shop in 1975 and was always worried that the city council would claim his property when he died as he was not the legal owner.
Yesterday, Jack - who with 24 other business people in Gugulethu, Nyanga and Langa - received the title deeds for their businesses. He said he was elated with the deed he waited decades for.
“When I got it, all I could say was 'at last', because now even when I die I will know that I will be able to leave my children something.”
Jack said he has three children who grew up in the business and added he went to the city on numerous occasions to enquire when he would receive the deed.
“Just last week I went to the civic centre to find out about when we would get the deed, and we were told they would come in a week. I was so happy, it felt like I already had it.”
His eldest daughter, Nobuzwe Neku, said they were happy they had a deed.
Neku even took a day off work yesterday to be with her father as he received his deed.
“We always had the worry that council would take it away, but now we are all happy and that worry is gone.”
She added she grew up in the store and that her son now ran the shop as her father was too old to do it alone.
“When he started, we came from Langa where we stayed with family and we grew up there among those shoes. We helped a lot until we got older and had to get our own jobs.”
The title deed handover was part of the city’s redress programme. More that 100 properties were identified in the three areas where the apartheid government denied business owners ownership of the premises where they operated.
Mayor Patricia de Lille handed over the deeds and commended the business owners’ perseverance.
“We have already transferred 81 title deeds thus far out of a total of 109. The remaining 26 are currently with the transferring attorneys.
“We will soon have empowered 109 Lagunya business owners.
“Ownership is transformation because it unlocks economic opportunities.
“These owners can now take out loans, expand their businesses and create more jobs.
“This is creating sustainable economic development in the Lagunya area.”
Victor Sibengu of the Langa Traders Association said he initiated the deed process in 1992 and that he was glad to see the fruits of his labour.
“Others died waiting, but those that are still here are so grateful to have a title deed.