Mogale City Local Municipality Executive Mayor Councillor Patrick Lipudi handed over 47 houses to disadvantaged families and military veterans at the Chief Mogale Integrated Housing Development in Kagiso.

The handover of houses forms part of the municipality’s service delivery programme done in partnership with Gauteng Provincial Government.

Speaking at the handover proceeding, Councillor Lipudi encouraged the new residents to continue working with government and their local councillor.

“We are truly humbled as a municipality to hand over these houses to our people. This handover process is part of our service delivery programme which we, as a caring government, agreed upon to ensure that we restore the dignity of our people,” Councillor Lipudi said.

“We would like to encourage you to look after these houses because they are now your property and that of your children. We hope that you will enjoy your new homes,” he added.

More deserving families, where possible, will be assisted by Gauteng Provincial Government in collaboration with the executive mayor.

One of the beneficiaries, 78 year old Dikeledi Modirwa, said words could not fully express her joy. “I am so excited, I do not have the right words to describe my happiness. I want to thank Mogale City executive mayor for keeping his promise and may the Almighty God bless him and his team for the good work that they are doing for our communities.”

Speaking shortly after viewing the interior of his new home, Lucky Senelo said: “I happy that my family and I now have our own home. I want to thank our municipality for taking care of military veterans as well as senior citizens. This shows that our fight against the old apartheid regime was not in vain. The municipality must keep up the good work and extend this project to other areas.”

The four-roomed houses have an open plan kitchen with build-in cupboards, a bathroom and two bedrooms.

Councillor Lipudi was accompanied by Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) responsible for Human Settlement Anna Setswalo-Moja, MMC for Roads and Transport Councillor Betty Mdlane as well as Mogale City Department of Cooperative Governance, Traditional Affairs and Human Settlements officials.