POLOKWANE – The association is a non-profit company owned by Polokwane Municipality and works towards developing and managing rental stock meant for those who can otherwise not afford it.
The association recently obtained an order from the Limpopo High Court to evict tenants from 117 housing units within the village, and this was effected on May 19. According to the property manager of the association, Robert Maetisa, the units have been locked since the eviction as they await a post-inspection report on the state of the units, and guidance on what will be needed for the units to be revamped to an ideal state before they can be used again.
“We already have a waiting list of potential tenants who are ready to move in, once we give the go-ahead.”
He added that the recommendations of the post-inspection report, which they expect this week, will guide them on when exactly new tenants can take occupation of the units.
This, however, would only be in a month or two, Maetisa added.
All new tenants will have a monthly rental agreement as opposed to the rent-to-buy agreement that they had in the past.
This, he said, did however not apply to older tenants whose agreements with the association are on a rent-to-buy basis.
“Tenants with these contracts are expected to pay all outstanding balances before the units will be sold to them.”
Since the evictions, there have been attempts by a collective of residents to urge the association and the municipality to reconsider rehousing former non-paying tenants, but according to Maetisa the units should serve its intended purpose and it is for this reason that non-payers are excluded.
