It has been a week filled with joy, tears, and laughter as 107 families received the keys to their homes, in new Woodlands Mitchells Plain.
This past Saturday, 12 November, 10 of the most elderly members of this newly formed part of the development attended the ceremonial event officiated by Provincial Minister of Infrastructure Tertuis Simmers alongside Mayoral Committee member (MMC) for Human Settlements Councillor Malusi Booi.
The Farm 694 New Woodlands Project will provide 434 housing opportunities for qualifying beneficiaries once completed. This project brought together two communities from the New Woodlands backyarders and Kosovo Main site in the Cape Town Metro.
Minister Tertuis Simmers said, “this is a day where we are giving hope for many who thought their time would never come. It is so important to give hope in a time where so many of us may be feeling despondent. Today we are not only giving back hope, but we are also restoring people’s dignity.”
He continued to say, “we thank our partners, including the City of Cape Town and provincial government for their support in this project.” Minister Simmers also thanked the engineers, and the local ward councillors for their efforts in making this a reality.
MMC Cllr Malusi Booi said, “we are pleased to be here today as these beneficiaries received the keys to their new homes. They are some of the most vulnerable and poor across the metro. We celebrate with them on this special day.”
The beneficiaries and their families have thanked the Western Cape government for their brand-new homes just before the festive season.
Nolusapho Gaba said, ”I was losing hope that I will never move out of Kosovo informal settlement.” Gaba has been waiting for a housing opportunity for more than two decades.
Jeffery Kester has been living in a backyard dwelling in New Woodlands for many years. Williams says, “I am very happy to live in my own house. For 13 years I have been moving to different places, now I am very happy with my family.”
