By Palesa Matlala
- Community leader Father Ratseou confronted MEC about 240 RDP houses occupied illegally and sold for R40,000 each.
- People on housing waiting lists since 1996 while illegal occupants come from East Rand, Soweto and Mpumalanga.
A community leader angrily confronted Human Settlements MEC Tasneem Motara during a site visit over RDP houses that have been taken over by illegal occupants.
Father Ratseou, 60, demanded answers from Motara about the allocation of houses at the Westonaria Borwa Mega Project on the East Rand that are being sold unlawfully for R40,000 each.
Currently, about 240 houses have been occupied illegally by people who moved in during 2021.
Motara admitted they know about the illegal occupants and said the department has laid a civil charge against the “criminals”.
She said once the court issues an eviction notice, they will allocate the houses to the rightful owners.
But Ratseou angrily demanded that Motara give him a date for when this would happen. His community has been on the waiting list since 1996.
She could not give him a date, saying “they will know once the matter is finalised in court”.
“We have been on the waiting list and people are coming from the East Rand, Soweto, Pretoria and as far as Mpumalanga to occupy these houses,” said Ratseou.
He added that if they are not given houses soon, they will take them by force.
The frustrated community leader asked the MEC to put people with disabilities, child-headed households and pensioners first.
“Houses are ready now and I heard about the re-allocation. If you say that you are going to wait for the court case to be concluded yet there are ready houses, it will be a waste of time. We want you to expedite the process so that people can move in,” said Ratseou.
But Motara said only one house out of 322 has been completed. When they are ready, people will be allocated houses.
She said she was worried that the other houses would also be taken over illegally like the first ones.
But Motara was firm that it will not happen and said “it’s the community’s responsibility to ensure that the houses are protected”.
When asked about the abandoned R11-billion Mega City project, Motara said the government cannot get money back from the developer who was chosen for the project.
Pictured above: The Westonaria Borwa Mega Project.
Image source: Palesa Matala
