By Montsho Matlala
Polokwane – It was a joyful Friday for many in Polokwane as Minister of Human Settlements Thembi Simelane visited families in their low-cost homes to personally hand over long-awaited title deeds.
In a door-to-door drive dubbed Title Deeds Fridays—reminiscent of political election campaigns—Simelane, her deputy Tandi Mahambehlala, and Limpopo MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs, Basikopo Makamu, engaged warmly with residents of Extension 133, Seshego.
Some homeowners of the low-cost houses, commonly known as RDPs, went so far as to urge Simelane to leave Parliament and return to Polokwane to reclaim her former position as mayor. While many houses have been extended and modernised by their owners, others remain largely unchanged since they were built.
For Maria Seleme, the day was nothing short of miraculous. She received her title deed 17 years after applying for an RDP house—and a decade after finally moving in.
“It is now a dream come true. My children and I will sleep with peace of mind,” Seleme said with a smile.
Ngwako Magoro admitted he had almost lost hope of living to see the day he held his title deed.
One 72-year-old resident fondly reminisced about Simelane’s days as mayor.
“I can see you have gained some weight—you are not that beautiful young mayor who allocated us sites,” she joked. “Even today, when there is no water in our taps, we still wish you would come back and bring it to us.”
Simelane said 15,000 title deeds would be issued to homeowners across Limpopo and encouraged residents to arrange collection with their local municipalities. She added that the initiative formed part of a national campaign coinciding with the 69th anniversary of Women’s Month.
“Today marks a significant milestone in our collective journey towards restoring dignity, ownership, and opportunity to our people,” Simelane said. “The 15,000 title deeds for Limpopo are part of around 80,000 that will be handed over to homeowners nationwide.”
She explained that delays in issuing title deeds are largely due to rigorous legal processes that must be followed.
Before Friday’s visit, the delegation toured Annadale Extension 2, where families who earn too much to qualify for government housing bonds but too little for private home loans live in municipally owned flats.
These flats, rented out by the Polokwane Municipality, are maintained and secured by the city.
