After waiting for decades, several pensioners from Mitchells Plain can finally put their feet up and relax in the comfort of their own homes.
More than 20 anxious people sat in the City Council Chambers on Wednesday to receive the piece of paper declaring them the legal owners of their homes.
The City of Cape Town’s Mayco member for Human Settlements, Carl Pophaim, handed over title deeds to the excited beneficiaries, calling it a right rather than a gift.
Pophaim also shared a personal story, explaining why he understands the significance of the title deed handover.
He says: “My family comes from an area in Diep River and were removed because of the Group Areas act.
“I remember I sat with my grandmother at their title deeds handover and I did not understand what was happening.
“But many years later when becoming involved in the portfolio committee, I came to realise what it’s about and so, what an honour it is for me to be here doing this.
“This is not a present, this isn’t a favour, it’s your right. You are entitled to this, you deserve this and truth be told, it should’ve been done many years ago.”
One of the beneficiaries is Ebrahim Fredericks, 76, whose wife Janap sadly passed away 10 years ago to the day.
Ebrahim says: “It is a bittersweet moment because this is something she also waited for, she looked forward to calling our home her own, so this is for her.”
Eighty-year-old Wilhelmina Stuurman waited nearly 50 years for her title deed.
The ouma couldn’t stop smiling and says: “When I get home, I will pray and thank God and then put on a lekker big pot of food made in my house to celebrate today.”
Soraya Hoosain, 64, said she was still a jong meisie when she started walking to the housing offices for her papers, and can now finally relax.
Suraya Titus, 68, hoped that her husband Mogamat Salie Titus, 69, will now stop knocking on the door when he gets home now that he is finally the legal owner of his residence.
She jokes: “I don’t know if he did it because the house wasn’t yet on his name.”
The City has challenged themselves to hand over 1000 more title deeds to residents in time for Christmas.