The North West Provincial Government has laid criminal charges and is pursuing court cases against estate agencies and individuals that have defrauded the state and pensioners by selling land and housing stock that belonged to the North West Housing Corporation without proper authority, Premier Thandi Modise announced during the handover of a thousand title deeds to residents of Tlhabane on Monday.
Premier Modise said that the provincial government has resolved to institute civil action to set aside all illegal transfers occasioned by the illegal sales.
“The heartless people who thought they had gotten away with looting of state properties and defrauding of the aged and the poor are in for a rude shock as no stone will be left unturned. A forensic investigation into alleged irregularities in the sale of land and properties has been extended to cover Tshwane, Gasegonayene, Tswaing, Greater Taung, Rustenburg and Mahikeng local municipalities,” the Premier assured beneficiaries.
“A title deed does not replace the fact that the land was stolen through the 1913 Native Land Act and that people experienced hardships since they were forcibly relocated from the old Bethlehem to Tlhabane in 1947 but it’s just to say that your children now have the a place they can call home, emphasised Premier Modise.
Premier Modise warned children not to fight over inheritance. “You must wake up and build our own wealth,” said Premier Modise referring to instances where children fight for houses bequeathed to them by parents.
MEC for Human Settlement, Safety and Liaison Nono Maloyi said it was important that people must have full title deeds of their houses. “We hope people will be happy to happy that the houses they live in belong to them, they are no longer renting,” said Maloyi.
The Executive Mayor of Rustenburg, Councillor Mpho Khunou congratulated the Premier for her leadership in ensuring that the initiative that started over the past three years was successful. Khunou said the title deeds give owners full title ownership that enables to control the property. “The significance of Full Title Ownership of property is that the owner is now able to participate fully in property market such as getting a mortgage bond from a financial institution,” said Khunou.
Elizabeth Mabe of 2404 Mafisa Street in Tlhabane said she had spent many sleepless nights over the title deed of her house ever since the death of her husband 26 years ago.
Mabe had been threatened with eviction letters. “In one instance, I received an order in the morning instructing me to vacate the house by 11 the same day,” she said. “I will now be able to sleep peacefully knowing that I have full title deed to the house,” she said.
An elated Lydia Masefala Jonas (84) had this to say: Thanks to the ANC government for redressing our situation and restoring our dignity, I will die peaceful knowing that my children will not be evicted from their home.”
Similar events to handover title deeds to 9000 beneficiaries of the R190 million housing discount benefits scheme will take place across the province in the next few months.
