More than 900 RDP homes were illegally occupied by residents of Eden Park in Alberton and now the Gauteng Department of Local Government and Housing says it will support a court application to evict the illegal occupants.
Housing MEC Humphrey Mmemezi told residents that there had been numerous attempts to evict the illegal occupants but that the department would now sign an affidavit to support a mass eviction order that is being sought from the Alberton Magistrate’s Court.
Hundreds of beneficiaries – who were legally entitled to move into the houses – had approached the Public Protector’s office and Gauteng Housing Department and the South African Police Service to get the illegal occupants evicted from “their” homes.
Apparently the residents had been granted these houses years ago and had been shocked to find that people had already moved into the properties having acquired them illegally and held fraudulent title deeds to the homes.
Community leader Mathetha Ndlovu – who was allocated a house four years ago – approached the Public Protector on behalf of the community seeking an order to return the houses to the legal owners.
There are allegations that the houses were acquired after the illegal recipients applied for the title deeds of people who had died and produced a will showing that they were the beneficiaries of the dead person’s estate.
Ndlovu says that such applications were granted on a regular basis and allowed illegal occupants to move into the houses in Eden Park.
The Ekurhuleni Municipality’s legal team will approach the Alberton court for an eviction order that will return the properties to the rightful owners.
In a separate development, eThekwini council officials demolished a Durban pensioner’s home because it had apparently been illegally erected on council land.
Zukiswa Young from Mariannridge was told the house had been demolished after her son had seen officials from the council tear down the property that had cost her R200k to build.
Young claimed she had been given the land at eMngcweni in Cato Ridge by an aide to the local chief, Simingaye Mlaba. However, ward councillor Dennis Shozi said that while residents believed Mlaba controlled the land it was in fact council land
He said people in the area were now fearful that their homes would also be demolished because houses had been erected on council-owned land.
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