By Luzamo Sandlana
Kgubetswana was filled with jubilation on Thursday, 29 August as 40 families in the community received title deeds from TCTA,
officially marking the transfer of ownership of houses previously owned by the organisation. This event followed a celebratory gathering in May to commemorate the donation of the houses to the residents.
The houses were initially built by TCTA to accommodate out-of-town staff members working on phase one of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project. After the project’s completion, the staff members continued to live in the houses for several years. Now, TCTA has handed over these homes to the residents of Kgubetswana township in Clarens, Free State.
Thursday’s ceremony was attended by all the beneficiaries and TCTA officials. Stakeholder Coordinator Dudu Moremi welcomed the eighty guests and outlined the day’s proceedings, beginning with a short prayer.
The main event, the handing over of the title deeds, was led by Senior Legal Advisor at TCTA, Nomvula Tshiye, who explained the terms and conditions of the donation. She clarified that although TCTA had transferred ownership of the houses, the beneficiaries could not sell them for at least the next ten years.
“The houses are now officially yours and you are free to upgrade them as you please,” she stated. “TCTA is not involved; however, due to the fact that these are donations, you are not allowed to sell for the next ten years.”
Ms Tshiye further stressed that, as the houses were no longer TCTA property, beneficiaries must engage with the municipality for advice on paying all necessary rates. “Welcome to home ownership. You must no longer call TCTA with any issues related to the house; it is now your problem,” she declared, prompting a loud cheer from the community.
Community leader Sonwabo Ngubane conveyed his gratitude to TCTA and described the journey leading up to this day. “It wasn’t always smooth sailing,” he admitted to the ceremony attendees. “There were times when we got frustrated but we also understood that TCTA had to follow certain guidelines, and we had to respect those rules and be patient.”
Mr Ngubane offered special thanks to SED Officer Florence Ndhundhuma for the role she played in facilitating the process of donating the houses. “I consider her a leader for the work that she has done,” he remarked. “When she got involved in this process, she was still young but her zeal to get this done was very impressive.”
The community concluded the event by presenting small tokens of appreciation to everyone involved in reaching this milestone. Special acknowledgement was given to TCTA officials wanda mkutshulwa, Sandile Mabaso, Ms Ndhundhuma, Ms Tshiye, Ms
Moremi and Tshiamo Legoale.
