Human Settlements Deputy Minister Zou Kota-Fredericks officially handed -over 419 housing units at Lerato Park in Kimberley, Northern Cape today.

The Lerato Park housing project forms part of the Government’s Informal Settlements Upgrading Programme and once completed, the Kimberly project will provide at least 4 654 housing units in the area.

Speaking at the ceremony today Kota-Fredericks said Lerato Park was an achievement for the Government and it would contribute significantly towards the realisation of some of the key objectives set out in the National Development Plan (NDP).

The NDP envisages the upgrading of all informal settlements on well located land by 2030.

"Where we stand right now used to be an informal settlement since 1987 and today we are seeing and telling a different good South African story that this government delivers to the people", said Kota-Fredericks.

Lerato Park is an Integrated Human Settlements project which will yield 4 654 units upon completion and it will cater for low to high income earners. This will also include rental and Finance-linked Subsidy Programme houses.

Kota-Fredericks was accompanied by the Northern Cape’s Premier Sylvia Lucas, MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs Alvin Botes and the Executive Mayor of Sol Plaatje Municipality, Agnes Ntlangula. Some of the beneficiaries of the completed houses handed over today were five vulnerable people including a 79-year-old woman, Adwang Jacobs.

Jacobs expressed her gratification about her new house: "I cannot contain my happiness, I am so grateful to the government for building this house for me".

Jacobs has been living in a shack with her daughter and two grand children since 1999. "I have been living in a dilapidated shack for a very long time. I was beginning to doubt if I will ever stay in a proper house but now I see the results of my patience.”

The project also created work opportunities for a total of 913 people of which 625 of them were youth.

Issued by the Department of Human Settlements. For more information contact Xoliswa Salman on 0842937617 or (021) 4667600