Gauteng Premier David Makhura has lashed out on residents who get RDP houses and start building shacks in their backyards.
Makhura was speaking to residents of Pimville and surrounding areas at the Pimville Community Centre on Thursday.
“The worst thing is that we as government give people houses in a bit to formalise the township but they continue building shacks in their backyards. This is a hindrance to our plan of developing and formalising the township,” said Makhura.
He went on to criticise those who sell or rent their RDP houses and go back to stay in the squatter camps.
He promised to send government officials to deal with the issue of shacks that mushroom at newly built RDP houses especially in Pimville Zone Nine.
The premier together with the provincial and local government spent two days in Soweto to assess service delivery progress and engage with the people on the ground.
The visit was part of the Ntirhisano Service Delivery War Room programme. It gave residents a chance to directly ask questions to the premier and other MECs who were part of the meeting.
Many residents complained about lack of housing and concerns about RDP houses being given to undeserving foreign nationals.
MMC for Housing Dan Bovu answered all questions relating to housing.
He assured residents that no houses are being awarded to undeserving foreign nationals and promised to do an audit.
The call to do an audit in to the housing allocation process was supported by Makhura.
The premier appealed to residents not to force government to build houses in areas not suitable for building.
The Ntirhisano Community Outreach Programme started in Noordgesig on Wednesday and was concluded in Orlando and Pimville on Thursday.
Makhura assured residents that the programme has nothing to do with the fact that local government elections are coming up next year.
