Controversy around RDP houses

THE Democratic Alliance has raised deep concerns regarding what seems to be the lack of concern and response by KZN Human Settlements MEC, Ravi Pillay, to a letter sent on the 14th October 2015 requesting investigation into the alleged RDP housing corruption in and around Abaqulusi Municipality.

During a constituency visit to a number of households in Abaqulusi municipality (Vryheid), a disturbing trend became apparent that almost every household visited had complaints over RDP housing allocation in the municipality.

There were a number of allegations levelled against the municipality, which are deeply concerning especially the sale of RDP houses by ANC councillors.

“The story of a family of twelve people living in a rented two-roomed RDP house has become too commonplace and this has been the case for many since the inception of democracy. Despite repeated requests for assistance from ANC ward councillors, nothing has come to fruition for many forced to live under unbearable conditions,” said the DA’s Thomas Hadebe in a media briefing.

“We sent this letter after doing a door-to-door in the Vryheid area and it came to our attention that numerous people living in RDP houses were renting them. One such area was the Emadoshini area in Bhekuzulu where we found a woman living with her 12 children in a two-roomed house which they were renting. It is suspected that these people are renting the houses from the councillors in their areas,” Hadebe said.

Many other issues around RDP housing such as the war between the squatters and title deed owners at Lakeside (Bhekuzulu 6B), and the never ending demands such as better roads, and other facilities are among the matters the municipality is yet to answer for.

The DA has since urged MEC Pillay to furnish information on the following as no response has been received since the letter was sent 6 months ago: The existence of the RDP house waiting list in the municipality or the lack thereof, a report on the current occupants of RDP houses, the criteria that is used to allocate RDP houses, and the involvement of councillors in allocating RDP houses or their role in compiling a list.

The Vryheid Herald was still awaiting a response from AbaQulusi Municipality with regards to the matter at the time of going to print.