Longstanding Bo-Kaap residents, Jassiem and Asiela Francis were finally able to take ownership of their home last week when the City of Cape Town handed over their title deed.
The Francis family have lived in Chiapinni Street for the past 24 years.
The City of Cape Town owns 62 residential units in Bo-Kaap which were built between 1992 and 1993. The Francis’s property is one unit in a row-type dwelling that consists of six units. These units were sold to people on the housing waiting list by way of a deed of sale on a delayed transfer basis, which means the property was sold on a long-term loan basis.
“The hand-over of title deeds is an equally proud moment for the City. We have committed to bringing about redress by transferring ownership of properties to tenants who were denied property ownership previously. I would like to wish Mr and Mrs Francis all the best in what is now their very own home,” said the City’s Mayoral committee member for assets and facilities management, Stuart Diamond.
“We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that more residents receive their title deeds. Our commitment is to build an inclusive city where everyone has a sense of place and belonging. We encourage our new property owners to take care of this life-long asset,” said ward councillor, Brandon Golding.
Of the 62 dwellings that have been purchased, 37 registrations have been completed to date and six are in various stages of the transfer process, the City said.
Once transfer has been registered and the title deed is received from the Deeds Office, arrangements will be made to hand over the title deed to the property owners.
The City said in terms of qualifying criteria, they will first establish if the person requesting ownership of the delayed transfer dwelling is the original loan account holder and purchaser. If they are, transfer of ownership can be initiated once the loan account has been paid in full. Purchasers may qualify for a subsidy to assist with the payment of any outstanding amounts. If they are not the original loan account holder or purchaser, the City will investigate the circumstances in order to determine eligibility.
Residents can visit the Housing Office at 50 Wale Street, Cape Town, to enquire about the transfer of ownership process.