Bank hits back at homeless family
The family has sought the assistance of a property lawyer to take their 19-year-old battle further.
The soured relations between the Mashaba family of Likole Extension 1, in Katlehong, and Nedbank has been dragging on for almost two decades without recourse.
“We’ve been hounded and detained by the police who have charged us for trespassing on our own property,” lamented 66-year-old asthmatic Rita Ntombizodwa Mashaba. Her complaint is echoed by Ernest Mashaba, her 66-yr-old husband.
The couple told Kathorus MAIL that their drawn-out housing problem with their former financial service provider, Nedbank, has contributed to their failing health in their twilight years. “It is such a stressful experience for both of us, as you can see for yourself,” said Rita, pointing to her frail-looking husband seated across the table from her as she battled to breathe while relating her story.
The couple’s only son, Sipho Mashaba, remains their only hope to finding a legal resolution between his ageing parents and Nedbank in the 19-year-old rift. He told Kathorus MAIL that he is determined to have Nedbank reverse what he claims was a “flawed” decision by the bank at the time to retain the family’s title deed documents after his parents paid the property off.
According to the Deeds Offices in Johannesburg, the property was registered in the names of Ernest and Rita Ntombizodwa Mashaba in 1993. However, 10 years later, in 2003, the property was repossessed by People’s Bank, a subsidiary of Nedbank and sold on auction for an estimated R22 000.
Although the family still occupies the house on Erf 2263 Likole Extension 1, they say the “illegal” evictions and detentions by the police have turned them into “laughing stocks” in the neighbourhood. “We have become something that neighbours gossip about at dinner tables and mock in the streets when they see us,” added Ernest.
According to the couple, their problems with the bank started in 1993 after they were both retrenched by the old Boksburg City Council’s Health Department, where Rita was employed as an auxiliary nurse and Ernest as a security guard at the Knights Hospital north of Germiston. Although they had missed some of the monthly bond repayments, both Rita and Ernest said they contributed a large amount from their retrenchment packages towards payment for the bond to make up for any shortfalls.
Sipho said he feels his parents were given a “raw deal” by People’s Bank, which auctioned off the property to Ariano 124 cc, in 2006. Since then the property has changed hands several times and the family said it is now some of these owners who have tried to have them evicted.
Approached by Kathorus MAIL for comment, Nedbank’s Dirk Khanye described the Mashaba debacle as “unfortunate” and said the family had itself to blame for ignoring calls by the bank to discuss their arrears. Khanye said this dates back to the time after the couple first fell into arrears with their bond repayments following their retrenchment in 1993.
Khanye said Nedbank made several efforts, urging the Mashabas to come forward and have the matter resolved, without success. “Finally, we had no option but to escalate the matter to our collections division which is the next step to having the property repossessed,” explained Khanye. He told Kathorus MAIL that all legal avenues were explored by the bank to resolve the matter with the family amicably.
“But they failed to comply,” said Khanye.
The family has sought the assistance of a property lawyer to take their 19-year-old battle further.
