Forest Village housing development in Eerste River. Picture: Henk Kruger
Cape Town - The Western Cape Department of Infrastructure says it is aware of RDP housing beneficiaries who sell and rent out their houses.
This comes after backyard dwellers from Forest Village in Eerste River complained about their “bad living conditions” while on the waiting list.
Resident Cornelia Petginger said the community had long been waiting to be relieved from rent and living at the mercy of homeowners.
“The cutting of power or sometimes being thrown out of rented rooms or houses by spiteful owners further angered us.
“This situation has sometimes been stressful for children and contributes to them not performing at school because parents must find accommodation in the middle of the night,” she said.
Petginger said the current Forest Village housing project was supposed to bring relief, but it did not.
“There are reports of houses being sold and then being rented out at R3 500 or R4 000 a month. These rented RDP houses are not supposed to be sold by law,” she said.
The department said it was aware of the issues, as the units were rented out within the first few months of occupation.
However, the department said there was no legal framework within which corrective measures could be enforced.
Human Settlements and Infrastructure MEC Tertuis Simmers’ spokesperson, Ntobeko Mbingeleli, said Forest Village was a catalytic project implemented to respond to the overflow of beneficiaries from the N2 Gateway projects, and to unlock development in those areas.
Mbingeleli said selling or renting Breaking New Grounds houses is not allowed.
Forest Village resident Anele Ntongana said selling RDP houses had become a business for many.
“People get RDP houses, live with relatives, and sell them.”
zolani.sinxo@inl.co.z
Cape Argus
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