‘Dead’ Mamelodi mum misses turn for RDP house
“Someone at the metro declared me dead so they could sell my house.”
Having one’s own house is everyone’s dream – but for one Mamelodi resident that dream may never come true.
Mankididi Christina Masuwe applied for an RDP house back in 2000. In 2008, she went to the Tshwane metro office in Mamelodi West to check whether her name was still on the database.
The 56-year-old unemployed mother to a 15-year-old boy said she was happy to learn back then that her name was still on the database.
However, her life turned upside down when she recently asked her cousin Yvonne Matlala to find out from the human settlement department why her house had been delayed.
That was when Masuwe discovered her name had been removed from the register because, according to government records, she had died and her house was given to the next person in line.
Masuwe said she did not understand where the metro got the information she had died from, but suspected corruption at the metro.
“I think someone at the metro declared me dead so they could sell my house,” she said.
“I have been waiting for the house for more than 17 years and I am tired.”
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Masuwe rents a back room in Mamelodi East for R1 500 a month and survives on handouts from the community.
Masuwe claims that an official by the name of “Alex”, whom she suspects might know what happened to her RDP house, called her to set up meeting to discuss the matter.
She was however surprised to learn that “Alex” wanted to meet after hours and not at the municipal offices.
Masuwe said she was struggling to keep up with her rent since losing her job in November.
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She wants mayor Solly Msimanga to look into her case “very seriously and find out what happened”.
“People who registered for RDP houses at the same time as me already have their own house, but but not me,” she said.
“Whoever declared me dead must come forward to explain where that information came from.”
Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said he would refer the matter to the provincial housing department for an investigation before responding.
“I will give you feedback when I get any answers,” he told Rekord.
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