The Gauteng government says it is obtaining court orders to remove illegal occupants and return state-funded homes to qualifying beneficiaries
By Mapaballo Borotho
Illegal occupation of RDP houses remains a challenge in parts of Gauteng, with government saying corruption and unlawful invasions continue to prevent some deserving beneficiaries from accessing state-funded homes.
South Africa has seen cases where deserving beneficiaries have allegedly been removed from their allocated RDP houses without valid explanations. There have also been reports of government-funded properties being illegally sold or occupied by people who do not qualify.
However, this trend could soon come to an end for illegal occupants. The Gauteng provincial government is moving ahead with plans to evict people unlawfully occupying state-funded houses as it seeks to return the properties to deserving and qualifying beneficiaries.
The provincial government says the affected houses were unlawfully occupied despite having been allocated to people on the official housing waiting list.
The evictions will follow due legal process before the homes are refurbished, where necessary, and handed over to eligible families.
Phemelo spoke to Gauteng MEC for Human Settlements Tasneem Motara about the province’s housing recovery campaign and what it means for residents.
Motara said that while there have been reports of people illegally occupying RDP houses in Gauteng, the problem is not as widespread as some may believe.
“The majority of our houses do get allocated to the correct beneficiaries, but we do have instances across the province where units keep being invaded. Our biggest invasions are in the City of Tshwane and the West Rand. There are a few in Ekurhuleni, and we also have a few in the south,” she said.
Motara said her department will approach the courts to obtain eviction orders against people who are illegally occupying the homes.
“The court proceedings are public, and the court orders are processed quickly. We have been successful in obtaining eviction orders, but we don’t want to communicate or share the actual dates on which the evictions will be carried out. It’s a security measure and helps us manage the risk,” she added.
Motara said individuals occupying RDP houses illegally will be notified before the eviction process is carried out.
“It is the legal process. We cannot just arrive and start chasing people out of the houses. They will be given an opportunity to pack their belongings properly, and some may have alternative places to go.”
For the full conversation, listen to the podcast.
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