The fight over an RDP house in Mthambeka continues, and it appears there are two title deeds for the property.
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In the April 12 edition of the Thembisan, we reported that the Tembisa Residents Association (TRA) had claimed that criminal syndicates were at play in the allocation of RDP houses.
One complaint was that of Gogo Anna’s RDP house in Mthambeka.
The man the TRA had accused of the wrongful ownership of her house has since reached out to the Thembisan to give his side of the story.
He stated that as Zweli Dlamini, the spokesperson for the CoE, said in the initial story, he is the rightful owner of the RDP house in Mthambeka.
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According to Billy Sicwebu, who cares for the owner, Musawenkosi Sicwebu, the TRA forced the eviction of his cars from the property without his permission.
“We had a meeting with the councillor and TRA about the cars. They told me to find another place to park my cars.”
He believes a hitman was hired to beat him up for not agreeing to the terms.
In October 2019, a Department of Human Settlements report recommended Zodwa Mazibuko, Gogo Anna’s daughter, move their house to Temong, and that the house in Mthambeka be occupied by the Sicwebu family because it was converted into a four-room dwelling.
Both families received the report.
“As the helper of my disabled uncle, who is the owner, I am helping him lawfully claim back the house,” said Sicwebu.
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He added that the municipality wants to terminate two-room houses.
“The city issued a new process that states only one family can stay in those two rooms.”
Responding to the issue of municipality bills, Sicwebu said that the house in Mthambeka has two accounts because it was declared a two-room RDP.
“Zodwa Mazibuko’s account is blocked because they have removed them from the system as the rightful owners.
“We’re busy with court proceedings, and hopefully, this case will soon be resolved.
“Human Settlements gave us the report in 2019 that contains all the information regarding the RDP house.
“The house has two title deeds that declare it belongs to Gogo Anna and Musawenkosi Sicwebu. My uncle’s title deed was burnt in a fire at the Rabasotho offices, but we will get another one soon,” said Sicwebu.
The Thembisan received confirmation from the CoE that 781 is owned by the city and there is one title deed to that effect.
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A property can only have one title.
According to Dlamini, the Mazibuko family benefitted from a house in Temong Section and Anna Mazibuko was supposed to move out but left tenants and her daughter behind.
“The city has met and advised the Sicwebu family concerning the process to resolve this matter.
Human settlement legislation dictates that a person can only benefit once from housing subsidies.
“Secondly, officials who managed this case are no longer with the city. It is unclear what circumstances led to Mazibuko occupying the 781 house when Mazibuko had benefited,” said Dlamini.
In addition, Dlamini said all title deeds could be accessed at the Deeds Office.
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