Two residents from Nompumelelo township in East London are fighting for their RDP houses, which are occupied by other people while they live in squalor.
Silo Holose and Ntombinaye Ngxafane said they did not know they had benefited from the government subsidy until five years ago.
Bopi said the housing issue in the township was complicated.
“We honestly can’t move people out of the house they currently occupy despite anything. We will work to solve this complicated matter.”
Former community leader Nomhle Mlonyeni said many people who were not known in the community before the building of the RDP houses in 2005 “mysteriously” received houses.
She said this left those, mostly the illiterate and elderly, out of their houses, and they couldn’t do anything to get their houses back.
“Those who sold these strangers these RDP houses are known but no one acts against them. These people can’t find homes anywhere as they’ve been approved for this subsidy. If the public protector is needed, her office must intervene,” said Mlonyeni.
Provincial human settlements spokesman Lwandile Sicwetsha said the department would visit the metro with a programme to check if beneficiaries were occupying homes allocated to them. “There will be public hearings and investigations of how people got into houses that don’t belong to them.
“Also there is a system that is planned where people will receive a text message that will notify them if they’ve received a subsidy or not.”
He said municipalities need to constantly communicate with beneficiaries about their houses.
“With a housing development, it’s important for municipalities to communicate with beneficiaries or applicants to say if they will receive houses or not.”
RDP home owners live in squalor
Silo Holose and Ntombinaye Ngxafane said they did not know they had benefited from the government subsidy until five years ago.
Bopi said the housing issue in the township was complicated.
“We honestly can’t move people out of the house they currently occupy despite anything. We will work to solve this complicated matter.”
Former community leader Nomhle Mlonyeni said many people who were not known in the community before the building of the RDP houses in 2005 “mysteriously” received houses.
She said this left those, mostly the illiterate and elderly, out of their houses, and they couldn’t do anything to get their houses back.
“Those who sold these strangers these RDP houses are known but no one acts against them. These people can’t find homes anywhere as they’ve been approved for this subsidy. If the public protector is needed, her office must intervene,” said Mlonyeni.
Provincial human settlements spokesman Lwandile Sicwetsha said the department would visit the metro with a programme to check if beneficiaries were occupying homes allocated to them. “There will be public hearings and investigations of how people got into houses that don’t belong to them.
“Also there is a system that is planned where people will receive a text message that will notify them if they’ve received a subsidy or not.”
He said municipalities need to constantly communicate with beneficiaries about their houses.
“With a housing development, it’s important for municipalities to communicate with beneficiaries or applicants to say if they will receive houses or not.”
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos