Allegations of sex-for-houses, tampering with housing beneficiary lists and giving RDP houses to family and girlfriends were amongst the issues raised with DA provincial leader Nqaba Bhanga by Komani residents this week.
Nomzamo informal settlement complained of how they had been waiting since 2006 for their RDP houses.
Bhanga, the DA’s premier candidate, was in Komani on Monday and Tuesday to drum up support for the upcoming general and provincial elections.
He visited Inkwanca informal settlement and Nomzamo and led a picket outside the department of public works over allegations of sex-for-jobs.
Nomzamo resident Phumzile Mtshisa told Bhanga that she had been waiting for an RDP house since 2006.
She claimed that a ward committee member, who is also a member of the project steering committee, had told her if she wanted a house and to be employed in local projects, she should sleep with him.
“I stay in a shack and survive on R400 which I get from my child’s grant,” said Mtshisa, who was in tears.
Another resident, Buzani Gcinisa said the housing beneficiary list had over the years been manipulated to favour family members and girlfriends while other houses were allegedly sold for R30,000 by those in positions of power.
Bhanga said government officials had abused the system by tampering with housing lists and were also involved in houses-for-sex scandals.
“It is for this reason we say we must have a credible housing list which is transparent,” he said.
Public works assistant manager Luvuyo Gatyeni said they took the sex-for-houses allegations seriously. “Unfortunately I can’t commit to anything as there is no petition. But I will send the message to the managers,” he said.
Bhanga said the DA would take the matter up by demanding answers from the Bhisho legislature and the national assembly.
Bhanga laid into co-operative governance & traditional affairs MEC Fikile Xasa, calling him incompetent and the reason for the failure of many municipalities in the province.
“Xasa must be removed. He is the stupidist MEC in the province. We have given up on him,” he said.
Xasa said Bhanga was just politicking.
“He might say that I am stupid because of the intervention we made in Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, where they lost the municipality.
“Since then they have been angry and calling me stupid on national media,” said Xasa...