The City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Management, Alderman Grant Twigg, Subcouncil 17 Chairperson, Alderman George March and Ward Councillor, Rashied Adams congratulated beneficiaries at a special handover ceremony last night, where 88 beneficiaries from Ward 49 in Athlone, received historical title deeds to become first-time homeowners.
The handing over of historical title deeds is one of the City of Cape Town’s key priority areas to empower residents, who were previously denied access to property ownership.
‘The transfer of ownership and handing over of title deeds is in line with the City’s commitment to redressing the imbalances of the apartheid past, where people were denied ownership of property. For this reason, when our residents receive their title deeds, they are not just receiving pieces of paper. They are receiving the evidence and the assurance that they are the rightful owners of their properties and this needs to be celebrated,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Management, Alderman Grant Twigg.
‘The City views the handover of title deeds as an absolute pillar of its efforts to enable redress and transformation. Receiving the title to one’s own property is of great value as it becomes proof of the asset and empowers beneficiaries to use the asset for leverage where possible and to transfer ownership to their children. We wish our beneficiaries well for the future,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Councillor Malusi Booi.
‘We will continue to make every effort to ensure that more property owners receive their title deeds as we are committed to building an inclusive city, where everyone feels a sense of belonging. We encourage our new property owners to make responsible decisions regarding their homes, as their homes are also their financial assets,’ said Alderman Twigg.