SOME Residents of the Lindelani informal settlement in Holomisa, Boksburg, Ekurhuleni, no longer have to worry about their leaky mkhukhus.
On Friday, 26 May, more than 30 residents received the keys to their RDP apartments at Helderwyk Extension 8 in Brakpan, Ekurhuleni.
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They were among the 179 beneficiaries of the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements and Infrastructure project.
Gogo Elizabeth Ntoyi (90) said she has lived in the shack for over 20 years.
"I've watched other people being relocated from shacks to RDP houses, and at one point I thought I'll never get the house.
"But by the grace of God, I got my own house today.
"It's like a dream come true that I'll get the house before my birthday in October. I'm so happy," gogo said.
Another resident, Sam Mathebula ( 68 ), said he has been waiting a long time for his new home.
"When it rains, my shack used to leak, and our furniture and clothes would get wet.
"But I knew that one day we would have a proper house. I am so happy that me and my kids will live in a warm shelter," he said.
Maria Selai said that she could not suppress her excitement when she became a homeowner for the first time in her life.
The 51-year-old said she finally has peace of mind after waiting almost three decades for her RDP house.
"I moved around with my family for the longest time, renting rooms. You can imagine how difficult that was because even the furniture does not last long. When you move a lot, they break easily."
Christina Mabuza (55) said they thanked the Gauteng Department of Human Settlement and their councillor.
"There is nothing more fulfilling in life than having your own place.
"We lived in the shack for years and it was hard, the condition was bad, but now I am happy that my family has a home," she said.
Agnes Thoabala (67) said: "I have seen people move out of a shack and into a brick house, and I would be in pain and wondering when mine was coming.
"From now on, I'll live happily with my family in our new house."
Masele Madihlaba, MMC for human settlements in Ekurhuleni, said: "This is one of the provincial projects that we have in the city, called Mega Projects, which will include more than 13 000 units.
"We have agreed that we will not wait until people are housed when the project is finished, but we will allocate these houses to people."
