Khayelitsha residents had an opportunity to check their title deed status when the City’s human settlements department held its title deed drive at Solomon Mahlangu Hall in Makhaza last Wednesday.
The visit to Khayelitsha forms part of City’s roadshow to encourage beneficiaries of historic housing programmes, including the old RDP projects, serviced sites as well as Breaking New Ground homes, to claim their title deeds.
Resident Nokwakha Mnyandeli, said when she was heard that the City officials were visiting Khayelitsha, she knew it was an opportunity for her to ask questions about her title deed status.
She learnt that the City had been sending letters informing her that she must visit their offices to verify details but her address was captured incorrectly and she did receive those letters.
She said such visits by the City were essential because residents could save travelling time and costs.
The 56-year-old mother of three said she hopes that she will soon receive her title deed so that her children could rest assured that their home will always be theirs, as they have papers to prove it
She said without the proper deed, criminals could come with papers claiming that your house is theirs even if they have fake documents.
She pleaded with the City to speed up this process and she hopes God will keep her alive until the day she receives her title deed.
“When I came here I was a bit angry because I have been waiting for years for my title deed but when the officials explained to me and treated me with kindness I was immediately at ease.
“I’m also happy at the fact that they promise that they are working tirelessly to speed up this process. I now understand my status and they showed me in their system that I’m amongst the people who will receive their title deeds,” she said.
City’s acting mayoral committee member for human settlements, James Vos, said tracing and tracking beneficiaries of older housing projects is a challenge as many are no longer living in Cape Town or there are no contact details available for them.
This year, he said, the City also launched its property home-ownership transfer-at-no-cost programme.
It will assist City-tenants to become owners of their rental units and over the next three years, R38 million has been set aside to drive the transfer of title deeds free of charge for qualifying beneficiaries.
Through the transfer-at-no-cost programme, the City will fund the attorney transfer fees and fix it at R2 500 per property irrespective of the property purchase price, on behalf of the beneficiaries.
The City will also fund insurance costs for saleable rental units from the date of sale until the registration of the property.
“It is very important for beneficiaries to come forward and to claim their title deeds as this will assist qualifying beneficiaries in formalising their ownership and will provide them with security of tenure. Since 2013, the City has delivered more than 12 000 historic title deeds to beneficiaries in a number of areas in the metro. As human settlements projects are completed, title deeds are handed over.
“However, the challenge is the projects that were completed 10 or 20 years ago where beneficiaries have not come forward and where these beneficiaries have changed their contact details or are no longer in Cape Town. The City calls on all residents who have not yet claimed their title deeds come forward and approach us for more information.
“We are also focusing our attention on areas outside of Cape Town in an effort to reach beneficiaries that no longer reside in the metro,” said Mr Vos.
A title deed is so much more than just a piece of paper, it is a way of unlocking opportunities for families and their loved ones, and for future generations, he said.