With numerous residents of the informal settlement near Bundu Inn still not moved to RDP houses, after having been approved, they expressed concerns about when it will happen.
Lehlohonolo Matsabisa, a representative for the residents and a member of the Socialist Movement, mentioned numerous issues the residents are experiencing with receiving houses.
The first issue is that many of the residents were approved for housing, yet when they wanted to move in, they discovered the houses were already occupied by residents from another area. The court then has to evict these residents, and according to Matsabisa it has been a year and the issue has still not been resolved.
Further, many of the houses have been left unfinished, either due to budget issues or trouble with the contractors. In some cases, residents who have been moved to RDP houses have to live in unfinished homes, aside from not having electricity and water.
Matsabisa mentioned currently the residents are staying on private property and if the owners of said property would want it back, they would all be evicted with nowhere to go. These residents have also not registered for RDP housing apart from the settlement having many issues ranging from sanitation to electricity and safety.
He noted an apartment building was built next to Umphakati Mall, but applicants have to submit their pay slips for the last three months and receive a minimum of R3 500. The rent would then be decided based on people’s income, but unfortunately, most residents from the settlement do not qualify for this.
Matsabisa stated he has visited the municipality about these issues and was informed the trouble is people do not demolish their informal residences but rather rent them out to others. However, Matsabisa did point out that a residence was demolished after the previous occupant moved to an RDP house.
Currently, there are over 200 informal residences on the property and over 400 people staying there, said Matsabisa.
“The informal settlement has been here for a long time and only around three or four people get moved per year. Why can’t the municipality rather register these people while dealing with the housing issues they are facing?”
His wish was for all the people to be moved out of the informal settlement at the same time and in the same place. He noted with people being moved to various areas, it becomes an inconvenience especially when it comes to travel arrangements.
Resident Nelson September (71) has lived in the area for the past 14 years. In 2019 he was approved for an RDP house but never received one. In January he went to check his status and was informed he would have to be moved to another location than the one he was intended to, as there were complications with that project, but nothing has happened yet.
The Randfontein Herald contacted the Rand West Local Municipality regarding the issues raised with RDP housing as well as the number of people being moved from the informal settlement yearly and September’s struggles with his housing. No comment has been received at the time of publishing, as soon as it is received an update will be given.
