Pretoria - The lives of destitute families in Ga-Rankuwa will never be the same again after a group of women volunteered their labour to build them houses this week.
This was announced during a ceremony dubbed Women’s Build Event held at Extension 10 in the township.
The houses would be built with the help of mostly women, who volunteered their time to help out on the project.
The major part of the project was, however, made possible by Nissan, the City of Tshwane and Habitat for Humanity who partnered to donate houses to the less privileged.
The lives of destitute families in Ga-Rankuwa will never be the same again after a group of women volunteered their labour to build them houses. @IOL #House #Houses #GaRankuwa @CityTshwane @tshwane_mayor pic.twitter.com/n84ZYnsVyP
— Pretoria News (@pretorianews) August 16, 2021
The municipality bequeathed service stands to beneficiaries and ensured that electricity and water infrastructure was installed.
The project was initiated in 2012 and since then at least 74 houses were built.
Tshwane's MMC for Housing and Human Settlement Mpho Mehlape-Zimu, said the partnership between the City, Habitat and Nissan was hoping to build 200 houses by November this year.
"We would have loved to do more now. This is a partnership and we are holding hands with the community to make sure we deliver houses for the people," she said.
She said beneficiaries would be people who were already on the housing list register, which has 300 000 applicants.
"Previously there were those who were approved for certain housing projects but they didn't manage to get houses. Those are the people we are going to prioritise," she said.
Mehlape-Zimu said the municipality had taken a decision to also prioritise people who have been on the waiting list from as far back as 1996.
Near the houses under construction there was another project under way to build at least 800 low-cost houses.
One of the beneficiaries, Annah Kgomo, who has been waiting for a house since 1999, said she was happy that she would at last have a proper roof over her head.
"I was very happy when I was called last Friday to break the news that I will be one of the beneficiaries who will be handed over the three houses this week,"she said.
Kgomo will share her house with her daughter, who is living with disability after she was struck by a stroke.
Mehlape-Zimu said: "We need to start looking at the vulnerable people, who are women, children and people living with disabilities. I am honoured that we were involved in this and to assist families."
Last week she joined mayor Randall Williams, who handed over houses to 24 families in the same township.
Pretoria News