POLOKWANE – Residents of Extension 76 claim that the owners of two RDP houses in the area abandoned their homes more than two years ago and the municipality has done nothing to trace them or to reassign these houses.
The residents said they did not know who the owners were, and when they enquired about the houses at the municipal offices, no one could assist them with information.
According to the residents there were several families without homes, who lived in shack in other people’s backyards, who could benefit from these abandoned RDP houses.
“These houses have been empty for years and because no one lives in them they have been vandalised. The windows were either stolen or broken, the walls are falling in, and parts of the roof were also stolen. The owners do not care about these houses or the property because they never come here. The long grass around the houses is proof of that,” one resident said.
Another resident added that there were many people who did not have homes and were waiting for RDP houses, while there were people who owned RDP houses who clearly did not care about or need their RDP houses.
“Why can’t the municipality or the department of housing or whoever is responsible come and give these houses to someone who needs a house? Whoever is responsible must do regular checks on RDP houses to avoid such situations. If this is done RDP houses will be given to people who really need them. This will also force the owners of RDP houses to live in their homes instead of renting their houses out,” the resident said.
By the time of going to print the municipality had not commented on the matter.
