Ten Blikkiesdorp families can sleep soundly on Friday night after they moved into their new homes at the N2 Gateway housing project in Delft on Thursday.
Ernest Sonnenberg, mayoral committee member for human settlements, said the families had originally occupied the Spes Bona school hostels in Athlone.
“The city at the time negotiated with those who qualified that they would receive homes if they moved to Blikkiesdorp in the interim,” he said.
Rosline Maritz, 47, who was on the housing waiting list for nine years, lived in Blikkiesdorp for two years.
“I want to thank God as well as the community who have been fighting for us,” she said.
Two weeks ago, her 65-year-old mother died without having the opportunity of living in her own house.
“My wish was that my mom and I would move into a house together. God gave me heartache and happiness. My mother told me I would have a house before she died, and then it happened after she died.”
Maritz has four children and cares for her niece as well as one grandchild.
The family sat next to their structure in Blikkiesdorp, waiting for the truck to arrive to move their belongings.
Their new house has two bedrooms, a bathroom and a kitchen. After they arrived, their meagre belongings were packed on the cement floor of the lounge.
Three of the children ran into the bedrooms, arguing about who would get the largest room.
“The first thing we going to do is have a bath,” they said.
House keys in hand, Maritz said she couldn’t believe this was her house.
“My mother would have been so happy… we come from a long struggle. She herself never had a home.”
Margaret Bennett, 47, has been on the waiting list for 19 years.
“I prayed a lot for this and God listened. There are no words to describe how I feel,” said the mom of four.
Andrew Badenhorst, a community leader in Blikkiesdorp, said he was relieved people were finally receiving homes.
“When we toyi-toyied we put pressure on the government to give our people houses. I’m not happy so few people are moving, though, we would like more people to have homes.”
Blikkiesdorp was established as a temporary relocation area (TRA) to manage the illegal occupation of N2 Gateway houses. The first families were moved there on May 9, 2008.
* There are about 342 000 people on the city’s housing database. - Cape Argus