More than 1,000 beneficiaries of RDP houses in Buffalo City want parliament to intervene after their new homes were allegedly taken over by illegal occupants.
The 1,051 beneficiaries were meant to get houses built in Reeston, Ndancama and Fynbos.
The group, led by nonprofit organisation National Community Dialogues, are crying foul over BCM and the provincial government’s lack of assistance in removing the illegal occupants, while they continue to live in squalor.
This comes after the beneficiaries were left in the cold by BCM and human settlements officials who ditched a planned meeting at City Hall in April.
This led to National Community Dialogues chair Leonard Ncumbese handing over a petition, signed by the beneficiaries, to the human settlements portfolio committee, National Council of Provinces members, and UDM deputy president Nqabayomzi Kwankwa.
“They tried by all means to get the mayor’s attention, the MEC and also the premier, they have done everything they could.
“It has been over 13 years, these are not houses that have not been built.
“Most of these people have their title deeds, so if the people we have approached cannot assist, we are left with no choice other than approaching parliament,” Ncumbese said.
Frustrated beneficiary, Nopasile Tonqo, 60, from Duncan Village, said she had been on the housing waiting list for more than 15 years.
She said she was shocked when she was given a title deed without the keys to her house.
“I went to the municipality to check my status and I was told my house was handed over a long time ago.
“I was given a title deed and a house number but when I got there, there was a family residing in the house.
“I was shocked because there were a lot of people who came with us there and when we got there, the occupants chased us away and they said they will not move until municipal officials remove them.
“They said only the municipality will remove them.”
Tonqo, who lives in a shack with her two children, said she hoped the government would intervene.
“We don’t want to die without a proper shelter.
“I have my other older children who I sent to the rural areas because we can’t live in this congested manner.
“We can only hope because those people [illegal occupants] are adamant that they are not moving.”
In a previous Dispatch article, the mayor’s spokesperson, Bongani Fuzile, said BCM and the department had intervened to ensure the illegal occupants would be removed.
He said the human settlements department had opened a criminal case with the Scenery Park police for investigation and prosecution on a charge of contempt of court against those who reoccupied the units.
Fuzile said it was resolved that the police be instructed to put the matter on hold for the parties to explore possible alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to resolve the issue.
“The illegal occupants acknowledged that they are not the correct beneficiaries, and they are willing to [vacate] units, provided there is a commitment by the municipality to allocate units for them as they are also in need of houses,” he said.
Fuzile said 103 illegal occupants had confirmed in writing that they were willing to vacate units.
When contacted this week, Fuzile said the matter was being handled by the provincial human settlements department.
Duncan Village resident Nomonde Makhonco said the beneficiaries were sent from pillar to post when they had inquired about the criminal case.
Makhonco said she was part of 840 RDP applicants who registered for RDP houses in 2010.
However, during the handover in 2022, her house in Reeston had been invaded.
“Whenever we ask for an update, the municipality sends us to human settlements, and human settlements sends us to the municipality.
“We’ve now joined Mr Ncumbese to help us solve this.
“We want a proper action plan now because the invaders are extending their houses, others are installing en suites,” she said.
“All we have is just title deeds.”
Provincial human settlements spokesperson Yanga Funani did not respond to questions sent by the Dispatch.
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