There is something rotten about the allocation of much-needed Government houses to those deemed to be the ‘poorest of the poor’.
In 1994, there was much fanfare about ‘houses for all’ but this noble clarion call has been besmirched by greed, bribery and outright corruption.
And Mzwakhe Sithebe, who fought a bitter battle against apartheid, wants to right that wrong which has seen many poor and vulnerable lose out to the politically connected.
Over 500 new quality houses have been built by Mazcon Construction adjacent to Tandy Street and the Dundee airfield but what should have been a boon to the desperately poor has become a political football.
“We know of at least seven cases where houses that should have gone to deserving families have been rented out to friends and families. Rent money is paid in cash to unscrupulous people who have been granted the authority to manipulate the housing list. Those who have been waiting for houses for years lose out. Many have applied but they are not given site numbers. Meantime, these houses are being rented out by the very people elected to help the homeless and those living in deplorable conditions.”
Mr Sithebe plans to ‘explode’ the housing scam at a meeting with the Department of Human Settlements this Thursday. The ex-Dundee Mayor has formed the Endumeni Civic Association to take up issues such as this.
People who applied for Government homes (the so-called RDP houses) have been forgotten unless bribes are paid and they are politically connected.
“The genuine applicant is forgotten. But we are not leaving this one alone – we fought apartheid. We sat in detention without trial for months – we are not scared – today we are fighting a new battle against corruption from whatever source it comes from,” a defiant Mr Sithebe said.
It is not unusual ‘to find fancy cars parked outside’ the newly built homes where the criteria are that those applicants must either be unemployed or earn a basic income.
However, the Courier understands that some have been allocated more than one home. And while Government legislation lays down that a RDP house cannot be sold by a beneficiary for at least eight months, houses have been sold in the new extension days after allocations have been made.
“People are no longer sheep… they question things. Why should we tolerate this kind of corruption? We did not tolerate apartheid and will certainly not lie down to this new kind of discrimination.”