VRYBURG – Among the many emotional moments during the recent handover of RDP houses in Extension 28 was the story of a family whose decade-long struggle for housing finally came to an end.

Residents, government officials, beneficiaries and community members gathered on 12 June 2026 at the new housing development near Reivilo Road as completed RDP houses were officially handed over to beneficiaries. The project forms part of ongoing efforts by the Department of Human Settlements and Naledi Local Municipality to provide dignified housing to vulnerable residents.

For the family of the late Keamogetse Susan Seimelo, the handover carried special significance.

In a heartfelt message shared after the ceremony, Keamogetse’s sister, Kgololo Banda, recounted the family’s long battle to secure the home that had originally been intended for her sister.

According to Banda, the family watched an RDP house being built years ago, only to discover that it had been allocated to another person due to complications relating to stand numbers and housing records.

“I fought for this RDP,” Banda wrote. “We watched that house being built only to find out that it was given to another person.”

After unsuccessful attempts to resolve the matter through local channels and the Department of Human Settlements, Banda said she approached the Office of the Premier, which intervened and instructed that the matter be addressed. Despite this, the family reportedly waited more than ten years before receiving a resolution.

That long wait finally ended when the children of the late Keamogetse Susan Seimelo received the keys to their new home during last week’s handover ceremony.

“I’m sure my sister is happy. May her soul continue to rest in peace,” Banda wrote. “Now my sister’s children have a place to call home, a place that belongs to their mother which is now theirs.”

She also thanked Naledi Local Municipality and Assistant Manager for Housing and Human Settlements, Mr Neo Mokomele, for assisting the family.

During the handover ceremony, Naledi Local Municipality Mayor Cllr C.J. Groep described the housing project as a milestone in addressing the municipality’s housing challenges and restoring dignity to residents who have endured difficult living conditions for years. He urged beneficiaries not to sell their homes, describing them as valuable assets that can be passed down to future generations.

The municipality also announced a new phased handover approach, with completed houses being handed over as soon as groups of approximately 30 units are finished. According to Mr Mokomele, the strategy aims to prevent vandalism and theft while ensuring that families in need receive housing without unnecessary delays.

For the Seimelo family, the handover represents more than a housing allocation. It is the fulfilment of a promise delayed for many years and a lasting legacy for a mother whose dream of homeownership has now been realised through her children.

-The VIP Team 

-Naledi Local Municipality