Kwatsaduza – MMC for Human Settlements Lesiba Mpya is urging residents to refrain from the practice of selling their RDP houses.
Mpya says it is illegal to sell the house within eight years of acquiring it.
In terms of the Housing Act 107 of 1997, a beneficiary may not sell the house within the first eight years of having taken occupation.
“This is because the title deed is issued to the legitimate beneficiary with an endorsement that it will require an exemption or government rejecting the mandatory buy-back offer for that property to be transferred to another person.
“If you buy a RDP house within the eight years of allocation, it will not be easy to change the title deed.
“The phenomenon of selling an RDP house undermines the government’s intention of eradicating homelessness.
“The beneficiaries who sell these houses are often vulnerable people who may not be able to acquire a home of their own after selling their RDP houses.
“They resort to returning to shacks and other informal settlements after selling the government-provided houses,” Mpya said.
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The MMC further explains that should the beneficiary wish to sell the house, the government has first option to buy it and reallocate it to people on the government-housing waiting list.
“We have identified that many people are renting their RDP house to others prior to the eight-year period, and we are also discouraging this behaviour.
“When an owner of RDP wishes to sell it after the expiry of the eight-year period, they need to ensure that the sale is done legally through a lawyer qualified to handle deeds of property transfer, commonly known as conveyances.
“Failure to follow that process has, on many occasions, resulted in descendants of the supposed sellers claiming back the RDP houses that would have remained in the names of their parents,” he further explains.
The City encourages the beneficiaries of RDP houses who face circumstances that compromise their welfare to approach the City of Ekurhuleni for social relief packages, such as enlisting on the City’s indigent database.
“The benefits of registrations are, among others, 100 per cent rebate on assessment rates, free refuse removal, first 100kWh of electricity per month and first 9kl of water and sewer per month,” says Mpya.
