There is going to be a housing sale bonanza in the province if the Eastern Cape government goes ahead with plans to sell off hundreds of state properties worth more than R67-million.
The properties, mostly residential homes, are managed by the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC), the province’s development financier which aims to help stimulate the economy of the province.
The “more than 200” houses are being sold in a bid to raise funds to maintain other state properties.
This was according to a report from the economic development, environmental affairs and tourism portfolio committee.
The report was presented during the department’s oversight committee meeting in the Bhisho legislature last week. The properties are mostly concentrated in Mthatha, Butterworth and Komani.
Sales will start now and continue until March 2019. The revenue generated will go towards improving infrastructure in state-owned properties “that form part of provincial economic development plans”.
While the decision has been welcomed by the legislature committee , it was met with anger by some who are leasing houses from the ECDC.
Portfolio committee chairman Tony Duba later told Daily Dispatch that such disposal of “standalone properties” would help to ease financial pressure on the corporation.
Duba said it would also lead to the ECDC focusing more on their core business of economic development.
Duba said the provincial government, through the ECDC, had inherited thousands of residential properties from the then Ciskei and Transkei homeland governments, and that their maintenance had, over the years, been a “headache”.
Their committee report will soon be tabled in front of a legislature sitting, for debate and adoption.
“After adoption by the house, the corporation will be given 30 days to provide the committee with a progress report on property disposal,” Duba continued.
ECDC chief executive Ndzondelelo Dlulane yesterday said the decision to sell the houses was reached after “we looked at our property portfolio and identified properties that were not talking to our strategy of economic development”.
He said with some houses which had been leased, the tenants would be given first preference to buy.
“The current tenants will be given 60 days to buy such houses. If they fail or are not interested, we will apply other methods of disposal.”
The Butterworth-based Mnquma Civic Coalition was not impressed by the news, with secretary Xoliswa Mjali yesterday saying most tenants were too poor to buy the properties.
“We welcome the move to prioritise those occupying them.
“But we will not allow those who cannot afford to be evicted just like that.” — asandan@dispatch.co.za
ECDC plans to sell off state-owned residential properties worth R67m
The properties, mostly residential homes, are managed by the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC), the province’s development financier which aims to help stimulate the economy of the province.
The “more than 200” houses are being sold in a bid to raise funds to maintain other state properties.
This was according to a report from the economic development, environmental affairs and tourism portfolio committee.
The report was presented during the department’s oversight committee meeting in the Bhisho legislature last week. The properties are mostly concentrated in Mthatha, Butterworth and Komani.
Sales will start now and continue until March 2019. The revenue generated will go towards improving infrastructure in state-owned properties “that form part of provincial economic development plans”.
While the decision has been welcomed by the legislature committee , it was met with anger by some who are leasing houses from the ECDC.
Portfolio committee chairman Tony Duba later told Daily Dispatch that such disposal of “standalone properties” would help to ease financial pressure on the corporation.
Duba said it would also lead to the ECDC focusing more on their core business of economic development.
Duba said the provincial government, through the ECDC, had inherited thousands of residential properties from the then Ciskei and Transkei homeland governments, and that their maintenance had, over the years, been a “headache”.
Their committee report will soon be tabled in front of a legislature sitting, for debate and adoption.
“After adoption by the house, the corporation will be given 30 days to provide the committee with a progress report on property disposal,” Duba continued.
ECDC chief executive Ndzondelelo Dlulane yesterday said the decision to sell the houses was reached after “we looked at our property portfolio and identified properties that were not talking to our strategy of economic development”.
He said with some houses which had been leased, the tenants would be given first preference to buy.
“The current tenants will be given 60 days to buy such houses. If they fail or are not interested, we will apply other methods of disposal.”
The Butterworth-based Mnquma Civic Coalition was not impressed by the news, with secretary Xoliswa Mjali yesterday saying most tenants were too poor to buy the properties.
“We welcome the move to prioritise those occupying them.
“But we will not allow those who cannot afford to be evicted just like that.” — asandan@dispatch.co.za
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