By Dideka Njemla
Sixty new RDP houses will be erected by the end of June across Makhanda, including the Mission area, J-Street, Xolani, and Upper and Lower Mnandi. This is part of a collaborative project between the Makana Municipality and the Provincial Department of Human Settlements, which will ultimately create a total of 178 new RDP units in the city.
The qualifying criteria include:
- South African citizen
- 21 years and older
- First-time subsidy recipient
- Applicant must be registered on the Municipal Housing Demand Database or the National Housing Needs Register
- Monthly income of R3,500 or less
In a statement, the Makana Municipality said that four additional housing projects funded by the Informal Settlements Upgrade Project (ISUP) would add 384 units in areas including Transit Camp and Fingo Village, and in Riebeeck East by the end of June 2026.
Nkosinathi Zonke, an approved RDP housing recipient from Xolani, says he has been living at an informal settlement in Xolani since 1990. Zonke said, “I can finally say that I am excited. These RDP houses are long overdue; some of us have been on the waiting list for several years, and we have seen how the government has stalled the construction and allocation of RDP homes to qualifying residents.”
