TCLM allows residents to remain in Chinese houses despite court order

GRASKOP – The occupants of the controversial Chinese houses have been defying a court order that they vacate their homes for more than a year, but Thaba Chweu Local Municipality (TCLM) refuses to throw them out.

TCLM obtained the High Court order in 2015 after residents were occupying the houses illegally. The court ruled that the occupants must vacate the houses by the beginning of 2016.

However, the municipality has allowed them to stay on while trying to find a solution that will benefit both the needy and the council.

Also read: Graskop housing a great disappointment 

Municipal spokesman, Mr Puleng Mapheto, said TCLM cares and cannot just throw these people out.

“The matter is complex. We are currently engaging with them to see that they buy the units legally and start paying rates as required,” he said.

The 170 two-bedroom housing project in Glory Hill outside Graskop was completed by the Chinese Government in 2012 as part of an agreement with the local government to alleviate the housing backlog in the area.

Also read: Residents voice their frustration over Chinese Houses

It has since been mired in controversy. Residents regularly marched to TCLM’s offices to demonstrate their anger over allegations that municipal officials allegedly allocated houses to friends and family.

The court order was obtained after council resolved that deserving beneficiaries be allocated homes.

The current occupants include the disabled, elderly and child-headed households.

According to Dr Johan Ligthelm, DA constituency chairman of TCLM, the ANC and the mayor misused their political power for electioneering purposes, by promising that the houses would be given away for free.

“It still remains illogical that a financially crippled municipality gave houses away which could have been sold to generate revenue. We received numerous complaints of allegations of local ANC branch members illegally selling the homes and that some of them had been allocated to family members,” said Ligthelm.

The houses were allegedly sold for between R60 000 and R100 000.
TCLM denied the allegations.

“It is the norm for the MEC and the executive mayor to hand over the houses to the community or beneficiaries on completion of the project,” Mapheto said.

“The mayor does not have the power to overturn any council resolutions, therefore it is not correct to suggest that he did so.”