- The MK Party opposes plans to sell occupied Ulundi state houses and says residents should instead receive title deeds.
- MEC Martin Meyer says a rent-to-buy plan could help eligible occupants while the province tackles its huge property bill.
The MK Party has rejected plans to sell state-owned houses that are illegally occupied by families in Ulundi, KwaZulu-Natal.
The dispute involves about 700 houses that were originally built for leaders of the former KwaZulu government under Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi before 1994.
During a debate in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature this week, MK Party MPL Lucia Zwane said removing the families would destroy part of Buthelezi’s legacy.
“We won’t allow you to destroy the legacy of the Prince of KwaPhindangene just like that,” Zwane told Public Works and Infrastructure MEC Martin Meyer.
She said the families should instead receive title deeds so they can legally own the properties and pay rates, water and electricity.
“If you want to kick them out, we will never allow such a move as the MKP,” she said.
Many of the properties were formerly used as ministerial houses.
They were later left unused, and the provincial government has for years complained that illegally occupied properties are costing the state money.
Meyer announced last month that the department wanted to sell some of the properties to reduce its growing rates bill.
He said the department faces an annual rates bill of more than R1.9-billion while its property budget is about R800-million.
Meyer has said the province wants to avoid mass evictions.
Instead, eligible occupants could be offered a rent-to-buy option, while the government takes legal action against people who unlawfully take over state property.
The MK Party, however, insists that the Ulundi families should be allowed to stay and eventually own the homes.
Pictured above: One of the state-owned houses in Ulundi that is occupied by families.
Image source: File
