Delft Citizens to Receive Security of Tenure From Minister Madikizela

Today 23 July 2015, Western Cape Human Settlements Minister Bonginkosi Madikizela will be handing over 100 title deeds to beneficiaries in Delft, Cape Town as part of the Department’s strategic objective to empower vulnerable citizens through ensuring security of tenure and to inculcate a sense of ownership and responsibility in housing beneficiaries.

With security of tenure, beneficiaries are freed from the fear of eviction or removal. Many of the beneficiaries would have been victims of unfair removals or evictions in the past, and with a title deed, no one will be able to move them again. The beneficiaries will also be able to use their property as an asset on which they can leverage finance, raise families and bequeath something of value to future generations.

100 title deeds will be handed out, of which 33 are for pensioners and 67 for non-pensioners. The oldest beneficiary will be 83 years old Mrs R.L Isaacs. To date, 1215 title deeds have been handed over in Delft.

The handing out of title deeds is part of the Department’s strategy to transfer properties to deserving beneficiaries wherever possible.

Title deeds are usually handed over as part of the government’s EEDBS (Enhanced Extended Discount Benefit Scheme) policy that allows for the transfer of pre-1994 public housing into the beneficiaries’ names. The houses were originally sold to beneficiaries under a loan agreement. However, the title deeds were not transferred from the government to the beneficiaries until the loans were paid off. Using the current housing subsidy, the government pays an amount towards the outstanding loan, and if the loan is cleared using the subsidy contribution, then the house is transferred to the beneficiary.

In order to service more of the citizens of the Western Cape, the Provincial Cabinet has endorsed a debt write-off strategy/programme to write of the debt of beneficiaries who would not have qualified under the normal EEDBS program, which is enabling many of the beneficiaries to take ownership of their properties. This intervention will further assist in decreasing the Departments holding costs on these properties. The Department of Human Settlements has spent an amount of R3.2 million rand in subsidies on this programme.

Venue: Delft (Delft Civic Hall (Voorbrug)

Time: 10:30 – 12:00