Whites get RDP houses
WHITE families have received a warm welcome from their new black neighbours at Chief Mogale Gardens in Kagiso on Gauteng's West Rand.
HAPPY: Engie Pitzar and her son Michael outside their RDP house. PHOTO: MABUTI KALI
Good neighbourliness: Lydia Ramosiga welcomes her new neighbours to their new RDP house. PHOTO: BAFANA MAHLANGU
For many years Koekie Beukes and her late husband Carl dreamt of owning a house. Last Thursday the 57-year-old Beukes' dream came true when she moved into her new home amid opposition from the People's Civic Organisation (PCO).
So far 15 white families have moved into the area.
Nomali Mofokeng, 71, believes that the government made a good move to have blacks and whites living together in the township.
"Mandela said we should unite and that is what is happening. Whites are people too. We should forget about the past and move on. We have to become one nation," Mofokeng said.
Lydia Ramosiga, 58, echoed Mofokeng's sentiments.
"We are happy about the move and have welcomed them. They are friendly people and even visit us.
"They don't have electricity yet and get hot water from us," Ramosiga said.
Beukes, a mother of six, has never owned a house before.
"My husband passed away two months ago. If only he had lived for two months longer to see our new home," Beukes said, battling to hold back tears.
She shares the four-and-half-roomed RDP house with two of her six children. She had been on the waiting list for about 10 years.
"When I was given the keys to my new home I couldn't hold back my tears. Housing officials told us we would get our title deeds later.
"Though there is no electricity, I'm happy that I have a proper roof over my head," Beukes said.
Johanna Putler, 55, and her husband Christo, 34, also received a house.
"We are happier here. We have been told we will get electricity soon. It is better than living at the informal settlement. Our neighbours are friendly and very nice to us," Putler said.
Six-year-old Michael Pitzar also seems to have settled in.
"I'm happy here. I've made friends. They come to my house and we play," Michael said.
Michael, his mother Engie, father Mark and two siblings aged one and 10 share the house.
PCO general secretary Luyanda Njomane said there were about 735 houses and about 600 families were living in the area.
"It's not that we don't want white people here. We just want proof that they have been on the waiting list for years like other people," he said.
"We don't think the proper procedure was followed. Our organisation is nonracial. We want administrative justice and are taking the matter to the public protector."
Mellow
"Mandela said we should unite and that is what is happening. Whites are people too. We should forget about the past and move on. We have to become one nation,"----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes Madiba RAINBOW NATION indeed and UNITE we shall with or without juju ... hope you all feel at home as you have just as much right as the rest of them who got those RDP houses
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MRKUTHULABO
that wat i call change and a drive to the right direction!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! let see how this story unfolds!!!!!!!Report Abuse
Vhamsanda
The place of peace, Kagiso. That's my home town.Lo amogelegile bagaetsho . Lo ithuteng Setswana ka bonako.
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Mpotjekegobotje
Where is my own RDP house,I registered in 2000 ko Mamelodi,they said I was not in the list,and I registered again in 2004 ko Rabasotho....le nna ke a e nyaka...eish and now I dont qualify again.Anyway,everyone who qualify deserved RDP house,so they were not given becos they are whites,but bcos they qualify for the house.
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VR6
"We don't think the proper procedure was followed. Our organisation is nonracial."How stupid is that, your organisation is non-racial yet its leaders are racial,,do you always ask for proof everytime a person(white,black,pink,blue,purple) move into an RDP house? these are the kind of leaders we dnt need to head our Civic Org, this person is a racist and she/he is denying it, if it was one of your comrades who moved in,you were not gona come with those stupid & racist allegations,mxm,,you are a disgrace to this rainbow nation yet you call yourself a leader, tlogela kgethologanyo pls.
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Cuban-Prince
Lets unite indeed. everyone deserves adequate shelter. Big round of applause for the organization that monitored the whole process!Report Abuse
Warrenton
Yaaa nhe and this are the same white people's who initialy refused to move to Kagiso saying that their children would be raped? I guess poverty would force you to do things u never though u would...Report Abuse