Like hundreds of youths who have been unemployed before the People Housing Process (PHP) commenced in Nancefield in the Musina Local Municipality, Mavis Mvula is reaping the fruits of the estimated R5 million project, that will culminate in the building of 150 government-funded houses.

The 24-year-old single mother of a one-year-old child from Harper is glad that PHP has landed her a job as a labourer at Extension 10 in Ward Five.

"I am over the moon because the project is contributing towards poverty alleviation for my family. I really appreciate what our municipality is doing for poor people like me. Although it’s a temporary job, I am enjoying every bit," says Mvula.

Mvula says after hearing about the job opportunity from Musina Local Municipality’s Harper Satellite Office, she went to the Nancefield Civic Centre to apply, together with other jobless Musina residents and as a result, she started her job on September 4.

Working under the watchful eye of Musina Local Municipality’s Technical Services Manager, Jakkie du Toit, with support from Poverty Alleviation Unit officer Timothy Tshikhudo, 31 builders have been employed and each has been tasked to build one house with the help of three labourers. Depending on the quality of the work on the house, the builders will proceed to build other houses until all houses are completed.

Remarking on the progress of housing project, Councillor for Housing Evelyn Shirilele said: "This is showing that there is an acceleration of service delivery in our community. We are striving to employ more women at the project so that we can empower them with skills that they can continue to use when they get other jobs in the building sector".

Urging other housing applicants who are still waiting for their houses to be allocated, Cllr Shirilele said: "I am encouraging them not to give up. The process of providing housing to our community is ongoing and depends on the budget that is allocated by the Department of Local Government and Housing".

Shirilele said this during a meeting held at Nancefield Community Hall on Wednesday, October 11, to give beneficiaries their stand numbers. Beneficiaries were requested to get involved in monitoring the construction of their houses. "We also urged beneficiaries who have building skills to be in charge of constructing their own houses and those who have no specific skills to become labourers. We are glad everyone is now on board," says Shirilele.

When the houses are completed, each house is going to have four rooms, including two bedrooms, kitchen, lounge and an internal toilet. With regard to the cost to be incurred, each house will cost about R36 000 and beneficiaries won’t pay a cent except if they want extras. The houses are being built with semi-face bricks which won’t be plastered".