An important document necessary to prove ownership, has allegedly not been handed to residents in Stanwest, Standerton.
According to two neighbours, properties in Steyn Street fall under one title deed and the area was not subdivided, yet the stands were sold.
Mr Samson Nkonyane, a truck driver, and Mr George Selepe, an Eskom-pensioner, visited the offices of the Standerton Advertiser on Wednesday, October 13 to give their account of gross ineptitude from the Lekwa Municipality.
The stands were respectively bought in 2010 and 2011 for about R40 000 and about R65 000.
Bo
th men set out to build houses for themselves.
According to them, the sale documents were handed to the municipality in 2013 for an appropriate signature.
“Their response was that they were waiting for the municipal manager to sign it,” Mr Nkonyane said.
He then decided to contact a lawyer for conveyancing purposes.
According to Mr Nkonyane, the lawyer said the deeds office had no record of registration of the area.
The onus allegedly rested on Lekwa to register the area.
According to him, it was confirmed after a visit to two municipal officials, one being the manager of legal services, Mr Vincent Nenzhelele.
The explanation allegedly was that the budget did not allow for the expenditure.
The argument of both men is that they are paying for services monthly.
“How can the municipality sell a place without registering it?” Mr Nkonyane asked.
He contacted another lawyer to set up a meeting with Mr Nenzhelele and is awaiting a response.
It is completely impossible to get a loan from any bank since no title deed can be shown.
Mr Nkonyane also pointed out that no insurance can be taken out on the house, nor can it be sold to be in line with what financial institutions require.
His job prospects are not secure and he wants to open a business, but a loan is out of the question.
The Standerton Advertiser was taken on a short tour to the areas in Stanwest, where title deeds allegedly have not been handed to the buyers.
Construction work was seen on many a stand and raw sewage flowing down some streets.
Mr Nkonyane has no intention on being sidelined.
The newspaper contacted the communications manager of the municipality, Ms Thobeka Mtshiselwa, the same day via WhatsApp, asking comment on the above chain of events.
No response was received at the time of going to press.
