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Minister of Human Settlements Lindiwe Sisulu spent Mandela Day (18 July 2017) handing over houses and interacting with the community members at Chatty 491 Military Veterans project in Port Elizabeth.

“We specifically chose to handover houses today to indicate to the military veterans who have waited for so long to benefit as it resonates with what they went through during the struggle for our freedom”, said Minister Sisulu.

“In pursuit of integrating South Africans through the creation of Sustainable Human Settlements we have identified Zanemvula Chatty 491 project to accommodate Military Veterans in this area”, added Minister Sisulu.

Chatty 491 is part of Zanemvula Mega Project which involves the relocation of families from the Chatty river flood plain in Soweto- on- Sea and Veeplaas to the greenfield serviced sites of Chatty extensions (5,12,13 and  15) and Joe Slovo. The project was established to address the sustainable human settlement needs of approximately 10 000 families.

One of the beneficiaries, Wandisile Ngada (71) joined Black Consciousness Movement military wing (AZANLA) in 1968. He said he joined the struggle due to disrespect which was directed at well-educated black people and he could not stand being deprived the political freedom in this country where the majority of people are black.

“I was arrested in 1974, imprisoned at Brandvlei and released in 1981. When I came back home it was difficult, I could not get a job as I was unskilled and uneducated so I started a chicken selling business”, said Mr Ngada.

“I am very happy to have received this house as it will help me, my wife and my six kids to have a decent shelter over our heads”, added Ngada.    

As part of skills development programme about 44 Military veterans have completed a Home Building Skills Course at Chatty 491. The skills course included the NHBRC legal compliance, foundation building, types of soils and the practical completion of a house.
 

Issued by GCIS on behalf of the Department of Human Settlements