By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
27 May 2025- The North West MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), Oageng Molapisi expressed his satisfaction on the progress registered. This comes after Molapisi’s recent visit to Redirile Housing Project, wherein 385 housing units are being constructed in Redirile Township, in Derby.
He said this demonstrates the department’s commitment to ensuring that the elderly, people with disabilities and child-headed families are provided with quality housing, their living conditions are improved and they regain their dignity.
“I am very pleased with the speed in which the project is moving at. This shows that we are moving in the right direction to ensuring that our communities have decent housing.
“As a department, ours is to ensure that we create and facilitate sustainable human settlements for our people as this will help to improve the quality of their households,” said Molapisi.
He said the Redirile Housing Project is part of the department’s efforts, which aims to provide quality housing to residents, particularly those who have been living in very dire conditions for years. Molapisi said the project, which started in 2022 is currently at 90% completion, with less than 30 units remaining to be completed and handed over to beneficiaries.
“If the department can keep up with this speed, they will be able to tackle all the housing backlogs they are faced with, thereby providing communities with decent homes and improving their livelihoods,” he said.
Moreover, Molapisi together with the Head of Department, Kgomotso Mahlobo and departmental officials paid visit to an elderly woman (84), who has been staying in a dilapidated shack with her six grandchildren for years and has not benefited from the government’s low-cost housing scheme. He expressed his concerns on the family’s living conditions and committed that his department together with the local municipality will follow-up on the matter to ensure that the household situation improves and the elderly woman gets a decent house.
“It cannot be correct that an elder at her age is still exposed to such living conditions. As the department, we will ensure that all necessary measures are taken to ensure that a house is being built for her,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Head of Department, Kgomotso Mahlobo echoed the Molapisi’ sentiments that the department, working together with municipalities, will continue to identify elders and assist them. Mahlobo further stressed the importance of regular applications follow-ups and reviewing housing policies to ensure that they are appropriate for identifying deserving applicants.
“By doing so, the department can better support vulnerable community members and provide them with the assistance they need,” she said.
The Guardian 