More than 100 RDP homes, badly vandalised after they were left standing empty for more than a year, are now being illegally occupied by people desperate for a home.At the weekend, residents from Mbekweni and Mdantsane laid claim to the houses in Unit P, built by the department of human settlements.
Their action was allegedly instigated by a councillor announcing with a loudhailer that people without homes should occupy the houses standing empty in Unit P.
Zameka Gajula, the councillor of the area, denied making the announcement, but said she was aware of claims that a councillor made such a call.
“I am a regional member of the ANC and I am a councillor at BCM; I would never do that,” Gajula said. “I know what the law says – if I had really done that, I would have been killing the ANC’s name.”
She believed someone pretending to be a councillor might have been responsible for the announcement.
The department of human settlements issued capital for the construction of the homes, and handed them over to Buffalo City Metro municipal officials to allocate to the rightful beneficiaries.
In January the Daily Dispatch reported on how the once-pristine houses – estimated to cost more than R80000 each – were in tatters as criminals looted them of windows and frames, doors and frames, guttering and bathroom fittings.
When the Daily Dispatch visited the area yesterday, the word “taken” had been scrawled or painted on almost all the houses, along with the name of the occupier and, in many cases, a cellphone number.
By yesterday afternoon the illegal occupiers had already started moving in. Many had placed plastic bags and cardboard sheeting over the openings where windows had been, and closed off the doors.
Others were cleaning out rubbish and human and animal faeces from inside the houses, and clearing the yards.
Abongile Daweti from NU15 said: “I heard about the move- in on Saturday and I immediately rushed to Unit P. I found the house and now it is mine. It was first-come-first-served, and I am moving in today. I have started cleaning inside the house, and now I am cleaning the yard. I was living in a shack.”
Asked what he would do if the approved owner wanted the house back, he said: “I will cross that bridge when I get there.”
Another new occupant, Pinky Ndika, said: “We didn’t just move into these houses – our ward councillor had gone around the area saying that people who did not have houses should move into the already vandalised houses. She was with municipal officials and there was no way we could not believe them.
“I am renting a shack and of course I needed a house. If the people who were approved for these houses had moved in, these houses would not have been vandalised. They should have taken the building material from their shacks and used it to fix the huge damage caused to these beautiful houses.”
BCM housing portfolio head Nomiki Mgezi said she had been informed of the invasion on Saturday night. She said law enforcement officers were dispatched to the area yesterday.
Councillor Gajula said yesterday municipal officials, law enforcement officers and police would start evicting residents.
“We have no other choice but to evict them. Immediately after I heard about this, I informed the portfolio head, the mayor and deputy mayor, and it was decided that today we must evict the occupiers.
“I saw one of the people busy cleaning a yard, and I called them out and asked them to stop as they would not like it when the metro takes legal action against them.” — mamelag@dispatch.co.za
Mass takeover of empty RDP houses
At the weekend, residents from Mbekweni and Mdantsane laid claim to the houses in Unit P, built by the department of human settlements.
Their action was allegedly instigated by a councillor announcing with a loudhailer that people without homes should occupy the houses standing empty in Unit P.
Zameka Gajula, the councillor of the area, denied making the announcement, but said she was aware of claims that a councillor made such a call.
“I am a regional member of the ANC and I am a councillor at BCM; I would never do that,” Gajula said. “I know what the law says – if I had really done that, I would have been killing the ANC’s name.”
She believed someone pretending to be a councillor might have been responsible for the announcement.
The department of human settlements issued capital for the construction of the homes, and handed them over to Buffalo City Metro municipal officials to allocate to the rightful beneficiaries.
In January the Daily Dispatch reported on how the once-pristine houses – estimated to cost more than R80000 each – were in tatters as criminals looted them of windows and frames, doors and frames, guttering and bathroom fittings.
When the Daily Dispatch visited the area yesterday, the word “taken” had been scrawled or painted on almost all the houses, along with the name of the occupier and, in many cases, a cellphone number.
By yesterday afternoon the illegal occupiers had already started moving in. Many had placed plastic bags and cardboard sheeting over the openings where windows had been, and closed off the doors.
Others were cleaning out rubbish and human and animal faeces from inside the houses, and clearing the yards.
Abongile Daweti from NU15 said: “I heard about the move- in on Saturday and I immediately rushed to Unit P. I found the house and now it is mine. It was first-come-first-served, and I am moving in today. I have started cleaning inside the house, and now I am cleaning the yard. I was living in a shack.”
Asked what he would do if the approved owner wanted the house back, he said: “I will cross that bridge when I get there.”
Another new occupant, Pinky Ndika, said: “We didn’t just move into these houses – our ward councillor had gone around the area saying that people who did not have houses should move into the already vandalised houses. She was with municipal officials and there was no way we could not believe them.
“I am renting a shack and of course I needed a house. If the people who were approved for these houses had moved in, these houses would not have been vandalised. They should have taken the building material from their shacks and used it to fix the huge damage caused to these beautiful houses.”
BCM housing portfolio head Nomiki Mgezi said she had been informed of the invasion on Saturday night. She said law enforcement officers were dispatched to the area yesterday.
Councillor Gajula said yesterday municipal officials, law enforcement officers and police would start evicting residents.
“We have no other choice but to evict them. Immediately after I heard about this, I informed the portfolio head, the mayor and deputy mayor, and it was decided that today we must evict the occupiers.
“I saw one of the people busy cleaning a yard, and I called them out and asked them to stop as they would not like it when the metro takes legal action against them.” — mamelag@dispatch.co.za
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