By Nangamso Mabindla
25 January 2005

BUFFALO CITY mayor Sindisile Maclean formally handed over new houses to residents of the Nompumelelo informal settlement on Tuesday, 25 January - and for some, it ends a 10-year wait.

The success of the R40-million project, which started early last year, will also help ease the city's 75 000 housing backlog.

The project also provided employment for 395 residents of the impoverished settlement.

Handing over keys to five new homeowners, Maclean said he was overjoyed that Nompumelelo residents will have a place to call home. "I am happy to have been part of this historic moment," he said.

"Now residents will have access to dignified toilets and running water," he added.

More houses will be handed over to new owners during the course of the week.

"Today I have the keys to five of the completed houses. Over the next two days more houses will be handed over until all 200 completed houses are made available to new owners," Maclean said.

"We only ask that you become a responsible community that shows appreciation for the investment we have made here."

Once fully developed Nompumelelo will have 1 200 houses, with sites for businesses, a primary school, a clinic and churches.

New homeowner, Thapelo Mandwandwa, thanked the city for heeding the call for respectable shelter. "I'm at a loss for words but I'd like to thank the municipality for putting us high on their list. I'm going to treasure this house and take care of it," he said.

The project, run by Grinaker Building LTA East, is expected to be complete in July.