Maki Makunyane* has lived in her bonded house for more than 40 years and still keeps the original 1982 permit that proves she is the lawful occupant. Yet for the past 16 years, part of her own home has been controlled by a stranger.

She said the bond was extended in the early 2000s, and her cousin stayed in the extension under a verbal agreement for about five years. When the cousin left in 2009, a man known to the cousin moved in without Makunyane’s permission.

“When the man moved in, I went to my cousin and told her that it can’t be that when I had given her a place to stay, she would bring in a stranger.”

Read more: RDP housing tensions rise

Although the man later left the property, he still claims ownership of the extension and has tried to sell it several times. “People used to come here saying he is selling the house for R20 000,” Makunyane said.

The extension is built directly against the main house. A closed door from the sitting room leads into it, and the window of one bedroom is completely blocked by the structure. Plumbing pipes from the kitchen sink and washing machine run inside the illegal room.

“Now one of the pipes is leaking, and when the sink or washing machine is being drained out, you can see a stream of water passing underneath the door of the structure,” Makunyane said.

Also read: Illegal RDP house owners detained

She said over the years, she had tried many times to solve the issue, but nothing had worked. She claimed that she went to the local housing department but was told that the department cannot deal with the issue of extended structures because they are illegally built.

“They said when I tell them about the bond, they can come and act, but not with the unlawful extensions.”
Makunyane said she once went three months without electricity because the electricity cable, which passes through the extension, was damaged, and the man had locked her out of the structure.

She approached Legal Aid last year in a bid to reclaim the room, but she fears it is going to take time.

“I am fighting for my rights. I went to Legal Aid trying to get him evicted, but they have piles of documents [cases],” she said.

“Now I want to fix the pipe and the electricity cable. I also want light and air in my bedroom,” Makunyane said.

Alex News has reached out to both the Department of Human Settlements in Region E and Legal Aid for comment and will provide further details as soon as they respond.

This article has been updated to reflect the correct spelling of Maki Makunyane’s name. Alex News apologises for this error.

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