Durban - "We have a reason to wake up each morning because the house we have been given has motivated my wife and I to keep striving for hope. We are now living in paradise.”
These were the words of an emotional Desmond Chetty, 46, who has been given his own home at Cornubia, the new housing scheme north of the Durban city centre.
His home, which has already been festively decorated, has come just in time for Christmas.
Chetty was among a group of 220 people relocated from the Isipingo transit camp south of Durban. Chetty moved into his new home two weeks ago with his wife, Shelly Ramasamy, 40, and their two sons Joshua, 10, and Jordan, 5. Chetty and his wife, who are unemployed, get by doing casual work on a day-to-day basis.
Chetty was born in Orient Hills, Isipingo, where he lived with his parents.
He moved out when he met Shelly and the two of them earned money selling crayfish and fish. They built a makeshift home at the Dakota informal settlement in Isipingo, where they lived for 10 years before the eThekwini municipality moved them to the transit camp.
“I sold crayfish and fish for R80 a kilogram. There were good and bad days. The money would be divided daily to buy bread, paraffin, mosquito coils, eggs, tin food and vegetables. To buy a cooldrink was a luxury,” Chetty said.
He described the informal settlement as swampy, prone to diseases like TB, a maze of corridors and unsafe.
That all changed last month when his name was called out at a meeting and he was told to pack his belongings. He would be relocated in a week.
As the time approached he was contacted by a housing official at the camp and given a key to his home.
“At the camp we faced continuous flooding. We could only keep important documents safe. My new lounge is bigger than the shack we lived in.”
At the transit camp there were communal bathrooms and toilets. Water had to be fetched at a communal tap.
Now he has these basic necessities in his home, although the electricity will only be switched on next month.
Chetty is not fazed and arrived with his primus stove, candles and matches. He has made a bed from pallets discarded in his back yard.
He does not have much more, but he is filled with happiness.
“I was overcome with joy when I got the key. It meant we would no longer live in the ghetto. I have never been to this part of Durban before, but I have heard many stories about it. My eyes caught glances of Gateway and some areas up north.
“The truck brought us to our doorstep and when I stepped out I could not believe my eyes. I glanced at my key and then my number on the wall to verify if it was all true. I have been here a week and I still cannot believe it,” Chetty said.
“Last night my wife and I were discussing how we came through some trying times. We suffered for too long. Now it has come to an end. I can die here in peace. I am not obligated to pay rent. My children can be brought up the right way. No more tears,” Chetty said.
“Since we arrived here, we sit outside every morning on a plank and admire the view while drinking tea. The house has motivated us to improve more. Now we want to find permanent work,” Chetty added.
Sunil Brijmohan, ward councillor for Isipingo, said the remaining 39 families at the transit camp would be moved by the end of next month.
“Upon the removal of the housing recipients from the transit camp, the temporary structures were torn down because they were not erected for permanent occupation,” said eThekwini spokeswoman Tozi Mthethwa.
At present, 597 houses have been constructed in phase 1b and occupied, while a further 1 589 homes are near completion.
“A total of 15 000 government subsidised homes will be built ,” said Beryl Mphakhati, head of eThekwini Municipality’s human settlements department .
The new residents would be moved from areas such as KwaMashu, Isipingo and Claremont.
Ravi Pillay, MEC for Human Settlements and Public Works, said they were encouraged by the steady progress made by eThekwini municipality in chipping away at the backlogs.
“Clearing informal settlements and transit camps is a priority of the ANC-led government both provincially and nationally. “We are committed to devoting more resources to this process. It is exciting news that in this festive period families will be cheered by new homes,” Pillay said.
“Cornubia is one of the largest public housing projects in the world. As a non-racial human settlement, Cornubia represents the national democratic society we are building.
“This is a good example of our people’s patience being rewarded. By its nature housing delivery is a slow process, but the progress with Cornubia is cause for celebration,” he said.