Mayor shares in joy of new homeowners

GEORGE NEWS - George Mayor Leon van Wyk shared in the joy of 14 residents receiving their new homes at the latest Golden Valley 133 EHP handover on Wednesday 8 September in Blanco, imploring the new owners to look after their most valuable asset.

Title deeds for the new homes valued at R170 000 each were handed over to the residents. Of the 133 top structures (actual houses) planned for phase 1, a total of 34 houses have been completed.

Only those houses where the electricity connections were fully finished were handed over.

The next handover will include 24 top structures that are in the final stage of completion, with the balance of the 133 units in different stages of construction. Portfolio Councillor for Human Settlements Raybin Figland reminded the beneficiaries that the title deeds they received made them the legal owners of the houses.

LGE Waste CEO Lorenze Gelderblom personally handed over blue recycling and green garden waste bags to the new residents and explained what should be put into each.

Ward councillor for Blanco, Jean Safers, noted that the municipality is trying to reduce the number of informal settlements in this area. He asked residents to keep their areas clean and to get to know their neighbours.

"Let us move forward as a community. We need prayer here - and let us be neighbourly with each other and mostly, let us be proud homeowners."

Ward 1 Cllr Jean Safers, Portfolio Cllr for Human Settlements Raybin Figland and Mayor Leon Van Wyk snips the ribbon at the home of David and Katrina Kettledas. Mrs Kettledas ( seen in photo) was overwhelmed with joy. “Thank you, thank you Mayor, I waited 25 years for this home, we will look after it.”

Project background

Beneficiaries had all been pre-identified and the subsidies approved by the Western Cape Department of Human Settlements.

The Golden Valley housing project will accommodate all residents of the informal areas in Blanco, although not all will receive top structures. Qualifying families where the participants are older than 35 years, and whose monthly income is less than R3 500, receive top structures.

Other residents of the informal area who do not meet the latter criteria receive a serviced erf. A serviced erf contains sewerage services with a toilet, a water connection and electricity connection.

The contractor, Marnol, has been appointed by the Provincial Department of Human Settlements to complete the project.

The expected completion date of the project is November 2021.

From left are Portfolio Councillor for Human Settlements Raybin Figland; Ward 1 Councillor Jean Safers; Suzette Arendse (recipient); Frans van Rooyen (recipient); Mayor Leon van Wyk and CEO of LGE Waste Lorenze Gelderblom.