Three families in Sweetwaters have the keys to new houses, handed to them by Zuma, who has promised more homes in the area.
RESIDENTS of Sweetwaters, in the south of Joburg, were bowled over when President Jacob Zuma arrived to hand over the keys to three new houses built in the area.
He was joined on Monday, 5 July at the handover ceremony at Sakhisizwe High School by Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane; Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale; the chairperson of African Musicians Against HIV and Aids (Amaha), Doc Shebeleza; and the group chief executive officer of the SABC, Solly Mokoetle.
President Jacob Zuma cuts the ribbon of one of the three houses
The houses are worth between R300 000 and R400 000 each. They are all fully furnished and each has three bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen and a combined lounge and dining room.
One of the beneficiaries was Lillian Ngomane, an HIV-positive mother who lives with eight children. She has been living with her family in a shack for more than 20 years. "It's going to be the first time ever that we live in a brick house," said Ngomane's 20-year-old daughter, Smangele.
Other beneficiaries were Enouch Vilakazi and Busisiwe Mholtshwa, an elderly couple; and the Mismanga family, who were all living in shacks.
"I want to encourage businesses to participate in such endeavours," said Zuma, who also announced that the government had bought a piece of land in Sweetwaters for R12-million to build 3 741 new houses.
They would be for the residents of Sweetwaters, Fine Town, Thulamtwana and Wiellersfarm - all located in the south of the city. The government had set aside R800-billion for the development of infrastructure, roads, housing and sanitation countrywide.
Amaha is a non-profit organisation established in 1999. It consists of jazz, gospel, traditional, hip-hop and kwaito musicians, and was primarily set up to mobilise musicians to address crucial issues affecting South Africans.
These issues range from substance abuse to supporting victims of violent crime and those who have found themselves in abject poverty.
With the SABC, Amaha is focusing on building houses for underprivileged people who own the land they live on but cannot afford to build a house. "We aim to provide at least 50 houses in Gauteng during 2010/2011," said Shebeleza.
The organisation, along with the SABC and its other partners, has embarked on a programme to raise funds to implement its objectives, including festivals to be hosted countrywide. One of them is scheduled for December at Florida Lake, in the southwest of Joburg.
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