A Fingo Village resident not only received a personal mention from President Jacob Zuma in his recent State of the Nation speech, but his words have helped move along a government housing scheme that can help him and many others in his situation.
A Fingo Village resident not only received a personal mention from President Jacob Zuma in his recent State of the Nation speech, but his words have helped move along a government housing scheme that can help him and many others in his situation.
The Makana labour department employee had written a letter to the President about his desperate housing situation and couldn't believe his ears when he heard his name mentioned on live national TV.
“I was very shocked, said Fingo Village resident, Mzukisi Mali, thinking back to Thursday night. That’s you dad!” his children shouted when the President said his name and the housing concern that Mali had raised, in Zuma's televised State of the Nation Address.
Mali had recently written an email to the President, and the italGrocott's Mail/ital, about the hurdles he faces that prevent him from buying a home for his family. He said that as a government employee he faces the dilemma of earning too much to qualify for an RDP house, but earning too little to be considered for a bank loan. In 1994 my income was too high to get an RDP and too low to get a bond, and this continues to this day. I have three children and my wife is not working,” he said in the letter.
Now the proposed One Billion Rand Guarantee Fund, that will promote access to loans, will start operating in April, managed by the National Housing Finance Corporation, Zuma said. The scheme will enable the banks to lend money to people like Mali.
“In addition, from April, people earning between R3 500 and R15 000 will be able to obtain a subsidy of up to R83 000 from provinces, to enable them to obtain housing finance from an accredited Bank,” Zuma said.
Mali was shocked that his little voice from Grahamstown caught the ear of the President. “To be honest, I didn't expect that, he said. My phone was ringing continuously from people in the public service, thanking me.”
He said that he was prompted to send the email to the President after he saw an advert in a newspaper calling for concerns from the community.
Mali currently rents a small two bedroom house in Fingo Village for R1 000 a month. He said that his family previously rented an RDP house in Vukani for R300 a month but had to leave as the owner wanted to lease the house to a person to open up a shop. Mali receives a government subsidy of R800 a month and has applied numerous times for a home loan since 2001, but always unsuccessfully.
He said that it has been painful for his family, and he even considered buying an RDP house from someone who qualified but would sell it. Now, with the announcement of the government housing scheme, Mali is happy that his family can finally fulfil their dream of buying their own place. “I am happy that my wife and kids can now have a house that we can call home.”
