By BAKANG MOKOTO
21 July 2026- The Northern Cape MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), Bentley Vass officially handed over 25 completed RDP houses to local beneficiaries at the Calvinia 200 Housing Project 20 July 2026. Vass said the Calvinia 200 Housing Project forms part of the provincial government’s broader One Billion Rand Housing Project aimed at tackling the Northern Cape’s housing backlog.
He further said with this latest handover, 151 out of 200 houses (75%) have now been delivered to beneficiaries in Calvinia. Vass added that the remaining houses are currently at various stages of construction and scheduled for completion and handover by the end of September 2026.
“To protect the infrastructure from potential vandalism, the department adheres to a policy of handing over houses immediately upon completion, while construction continues on remaining units. The handover aligns with the department’s Nelson Mandela Month commemorations. This week, as per the announcement I made at the start of July, we are continuing the handover completed houses across the province in honour of Nelson Mandela Month.
“Our plan as the department is to handover a total of 108 houses to beneficiaries across all five districts during July, commemorating what would have been the 108th anniversary of former President Nelson Mandela’s birth. Following the Calvinia ceremony, the department’s housing handover drive will continue later this week with visits to the Nama-Khoi and Khâi-Ma local municipalities,” he said.
Vass also planted trees at the completed houses as part of the greening and beautification of the project sites.
Meanwhile, one of the beneficiaries, Gertruida Isaks (63) who received the keys to her new brick-and-mortar home, marks the end of a 15-year wait. Isaks said moving out of a temporary zinc structure is a great moment.
“I would like to express deep gratitude for a permanent home that provides security to my family against the harsh Namakwa weather conditions,” she said.
The Guardian 