Picture: North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi hand over RDP houses to beneficiaries/Supplied
By REGINALD KANYANE
11 March 2026- The North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi, accompanied by the North West MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), Oageng Molapisi, recently handed over six houses to rightful beneficiaries at Bokamoso and Thekwane villages in the Rustenburg Local Municipality.
Handing over the houses last Friday, Mokgosi said the gesture was not only about giving beneficiaries a roof over their heads, but also about restoring their dignity and ensuring that they have security, worth and a sense of purpose. He described this as an important aspect of living a dignified life.
“The handover came at the right time as we celebrate Human Rights, urging us to accelerate the fight against inequality and discrimination in all its forms. Government is prioritising housing developments that are fully integrated with infrastructure and social amenities.
“This approach aims to address historical spatial inequalities by ensuring that new housing developments have access to basic services and social amenities. This vision will only be realised, if all stakeholders adhere to the principles of the District Development Model (DDM),” he said.
Mokgosi further said for many years their focus has been on the number of houses built. He added that while this helped to reduce the housing backlog they are facing, they have realised that in doing so, they sometimes overlooked other basic services such as reliable water supply, sanitation and electricity.
North West MEC for COGHSTA, Oageng Molapisi, echoed the Premier’s sentiments, stressing that access to basic services remains a critical part of the government’s housing mandate.
“Our mandate as the department goes beyond simply building houses. It is about creating sustainable human settlements and improving the quality of life for residents by ensuring that they have access to basic services.
“Government now aims to ensure that new housing projects are connected to infrastructure and social amenities in order to create communities where residents can live, work and access services without being isolated,” he said.
Molapisi urged the beneficiaries to take care of their new homes, as they are investments for their future and that of their loved ones. He said this was made possible through strong coordination between local and provincial governments in an effort to create sustainable and integrated human settlements.
Irene Taunyana (79) pensioner, who had been living in a house built from precast walls, was one of the beneficiaries who received her house during the visit to Thekwane village. Taunyana, who was overjoyed, could not hide her excitement when she received her new home and sang at the top of her voice.
“This is a miracle. My life has just changed, and this generous gesture will help restore my health forever. What the government has done for me is a clear signal of how it cares about us, its citizens,” said Taunyana.
Meanwhile, out of a total of 250 housing units in Bokamoso, 161 houses have been built, while in Thekwane 43 houses have been built out of a total of 50 houses. The Department of Human Settlements has reaffirmed its commitment to providing citizens with adequate housing connected to essential services.
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