I feel very good now that I got my title deed [last week]. Eish. I can’t express how I feel – I’m overwhelmed. Even my granny never got a title deed; I’m the first one. Today we are going to celebrate with a nice meal.
Now we can build. I want to build a third room but not outside – I don’t want any outside rooms anymore.
I moved in with my granny from 1979. We were coming from the old Eldos [Eldorado Park, Johannesburg]. For me it was difficult to go to the toilet because it was outside. So my granny was given this house with the toilet inside.
I was 18 months old when I was paralysed. The lady that was looking after me put me on the table and she went to hang clothes. I was moving, moving, moving and then I fell. I also had the wrong operation, which made it worse. But I can use my hand.
I was 25 years old when I moved here. [The place] has two bedrooms, a kitchen and a bathroom. Life was nice. It was comfortable … The toilet was inside.
I was not working but I had my own knitting business at home. I was 18 years old when I started.
When granny passed away in 1998, she gave me the house. It’s just me and my two sons. Ever since [then] I’ve been waiting for a title deed. I’m blessed because there were other family members who wanted to put me out. They even asked me if I had my title deed. I lied and said “ja” because they wanted to take my house away from me. Now, I’m glad that the house is belonging to me. – Denise Timm (62), as told to Oupa Nkosi