31 Mar 2014

Residents of Mahalapye and surrounding areas were recently beaming with pleasure as they signed agreement forms to get loans from the Self Help Housing Agency (SHHA).

A councillor from Shoshong constituency, Mr Molefhi Mphoyakgosi, said when opening the orientation workshop for the beneficiaries who came from Tumasera, Shoshong, Mookane, Kudumatse and other areas around Mahalapye that people should be grateful to government for coming up with such programmes.

Mr Mphoyakgosi said the programme was included in every national budget, based on people’s living standards and it gave Batswana a chance to improve their houses because everyone deserved a dignified residence.

“You should recognise the importance of this programme and should not be ashamed to use as it is similar from getting goods on credit,” he said.

He expressed displeasure at people who disappeared when it was time to repay the loan. Only quarter of the beneficiaries refund the government. He advised that people should be responsible enough to realise that what they were doing was bad.

Mr Botho Bolowe, the SHHA housing officer, emphasised the importance of repaying the loan. It takes 20 years to repay the government.

Mr Bolowe said the loans were not similar to those obtained from commercial banks but people must still pay back.

“This money is not at all a gift that you just take leave,” he said. “We will be together until you finish building those houses and we will make sure the loan is used for its intended purposes only.”

He said beneficiaries were not supposed to use the money to build the house from scratch but to extend and or improve their houses. The beneficiary hires the builder and supervises him or her. The beneficiary must also keep the SHHA office updated.

The 20-year SHHA loan, with a maximum of P45 000, is interest-free. However, a 10 per cent interest rate is imposed on defaulters. Ends