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Illegal occupation of BCM RDP houses a ticking time bomb

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Dear MyPE

The Eastern Cape Department of Human settlements need to come clean and state clearly what investigation, if any it will be conducting into alleged illegal occupation of 116 houses by residents in Vergenoeg, East London.

A parliamentary response from the MEC for Human Settlements, Helen Sauls-August, reveals that no formal investigations have taken place to verify whether the correct beneficiaries have occupied the houses. To view the response, please click here.

The illegal occupation of RDP houses in the Eastern Cape is a ticking time bomb. In many cases, the original beneficiaries of RDP houses are left homeless while strangers take up residency in their homes. The Department continues to fail residents in BCM by failing to deal with the illegal occupancy of RDP houses.

The relevant beneficiaries have been on the beneficiary master list since the 2013/14 financial year. Delays in providing beneficiaries with adequate housing are blamed on political unrest in the ward, challenges with ensuring credible beneficiary administration and delays in the approval of general plans for the project. The response also reveals that construction of the houses is not yet complete.

If the Department is serious about eradicating illegal housing occupation in the province, new strategies are required in order to speed up the process of completing the construction of houses and handing them over to the correct beneficiaries.

The right to have access to adequate housing is enshrined in section 26 of our constitution, the ruling party cannot continue denying our people the dignity of owning a home.

A DA government will implement a transparent housing database that will ensure that no one jumps the queue, and everyone gets a fair opportunity at being a house owner.

Regards

Sanele Magaqa
Shadow MEC for Human Settlements

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