Military veterans in Ganyesa under the Kagisano Molopo Local Municipality were on cloud nine as they moved into their new houses. This comes after the MEC responsible for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs, Gaoage Oageng Molapisi presented them with keys to their houses recently.
The handover is marked a significant milestone in the department’s commitment of eradicating the military veterans housing programme backlog and providing quality houses to them, thereby improving their livelihoods.
During the handover, MEC Molapisi emphasized that the provincial department, in conjunction with the National Department of Military Veterans, have resolved and agreed on the standard plan nationally and that made way for these houses to be constructed. He said that the department remain committed to ensuring that all military veterans are traced and get access to their benefits, including building houses for them.
MEC Molapisi said it remains the department’s mandate to ensure that the military veterans housing backlog becomes a thing of the past. “This is possible if we work together to ensure that our military veterans are given back their pride and dignity for all the sacrifices they made for the freedom we are enjoying today”. “I am proud to stand before you to witness your patience finally paying off. Thank you for keeping the faith. This is your home, please look after it,” said MEC Molapisi.
Former Bophuthatswana Defence Force (BDF) member and one of the beneficiaries of the military veterans housing programme, Patrick Nampa (54) said he is happy that his dream of owning a house has been realised. Nampa has been living in his family house with his wife and children.
Another beneficiary, Motlapele Otto (59) said that he is happy for his family now that they have their own home. Otto worked for the Bophuthatswana Defence Force from 1986 to 1994, then joined the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) until 1997. He is currently staying with his wife and children, and he is a military veteran’s grant recipient.
“I want to thank the department for taking care of the military veterans. This really shows that we were not fighting the Apartheid regime for nothing,” said Otto.
Both Nampa and Otto urged other military veterans to be patient, because they believe that their turn will also come.
Out of the targeted 33 houses for the previous financial year, the department has managed to build and complete 13 military veterans’ houses. Seven (7) are in Ganyesa, two (2) in Tlakgameng, one in Kgokgojane and the other three (3) are in Mabele-a-pudi and Bapong Villages respectively.
MEC Molapisi was joined by Kagisano Molopo Local Municipality Acting Mayor, Cllr. Karolo Mothwane who welcomed the delivery and handover of the houses. Cllr. Mothwane said the municipality prides itself to be recognised as the first municipality in the North West Province to handover houses to military veterans. “As the municipality we are very privileged to be home to these great men who committed their lives to the fight for freedom, their legacy will forever be preserved for prosperity” said Mothwane.
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Issued by the Department of Human Settlements (North West)
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