A middle-aged woman has been arrested on Friday for fraudulently occupying an RDP house in Mokgoba Village in Etwatwa.
The arrest follows the formation of an Anti-Housing Corruption Task Team by Mayor Mzandile Masina. The task team was set up after the mayor had received multiple complaints regarding corruption related to human settlements in the City.
The task team established that the accused had produced a fraudulent death certificate in order to occupy the house of the deceased homeowner. The team traced the rightful beneficiaries of the home to Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, and brought the family back to Ekurhuleni to submit an official affidavit that they are not related nor do they know the accused.
Masina said: “The formation of the Anti-Housing Corruption Task Team in September is already bearing fruit. We are currently investigating over 50 cases of fraud and corruption regarding housing in the City. If you are occupying a RDP house illegally, I would advise you to vacate it now, because we are coming for you. We will be making more arrests in the weeks to come.”
The task team has also been mandated to investigate corruption by city officials within the Human Settlements Department.
The accused is expected to appear in Benoni Magistrate’s Court today (Monday).
“We urge the public to continue reporting all housing fraud to the City’s Anti-Fraud and Corruption hotline on 0800 102 201,” Masina said.
