ANC & its coalition partners do not care about the homeless
by Cllr. Wollaston Labuschagne — DA Ward Councillor in Ekurhuleni
Date: 30 September 2021
Release: Immediate
Type: Media statement
Following years of poor planning, bad governance, and maladministration under the incumbent administration, the ANC coalition* led City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) has demonstrated poor performance in all its departments, and the Human Settlements Department is no exception.
Housing is a basic human right enshrined in our Constitution and the people of Ekurhuleni are effectively being denied this right by the lawlessness and ongoing housing corruption that the Department of Human Settlements fails to address.
Like many Council-subsidised flats across the CoE, eleven units in Dunnottar and Nigel are currently vacant. This, while thousands of residents are desperate for affordable housing.
In response to questions the Democratic Alliance (DA) recently submitted to Council, the ANC-appointed MMC of Human Settlements, Cllr. Lesiba Mpya, also admitted that not only are there 11 vacant flats, but nine of those units are illegally occupied by people that have moved in without the necessary authorisation. So, instead of allowing deserving applicants and the rightful beneficiaries to move into the units, the MMC is sitting idle, allowing lawlessness to thrive unabated in his department.
These illegal occupants could possibly afford private rental accommodation while deserving and desperate residents are, once again, ignored by the ANC and its coalition partners*. The ANC and its coalition partners* hide behind the narrative of a ‘pro-poor government’, yet they continuously disregard the very poor people they are meant to serve.
Also notable is that there is a waiting list consisting of 142 applicants for the Burt Jooste flats in Visagie Park and 164 applicants for the Noycedale, Mackenzieville and Dunnottar units. With over 300 applicants on the waiting lists, surely the CoE should be doing everything in its power to ensure that vacant units are filled?
When the DA enquired with officials from the Nigel Human Settlements Department as to why the vacant units are not filled, they immediately referred us to the Head of Department (HoD). This is incredibly suspicious, as it appears that officials in the Human Settlements Department have been instructed not to fill vacant these units.
The Democratic Alliance in Ekurhuleni has been pursuing this matter for months now and we will continue to do so until deserving and qualifying residents that appear on the waiting lists enter into lease agreements and move into these vacant flats.
As the DA, we are the only party that has been investigating these vacant facilities with vigour — none of the minority parties have said a word, including the so-called independent IRASA (an ANC coalition partner since 2016).
The ANC-led coalition has lost touch with the people on the ground, and as a service-oriented opposition government, we will continue to hold them accountable.
A DA-run Ekurhuleni will take principled legal action to prevent and stop illegal land invasions and the unlawful occupation of Council-owned housing stock. Furthermore, we will manage lists for housing opportunities, including serviced sites, which are credible, free from manipulation and ensure the development of a standard, transparent, and fair process for selecting beneficiaries.
#Time4Change
*ANC Coalition Partners: African Independent Congress (AIC), Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), Patriotic Alliance (PA) and Independent Ratepayers Association of South Africa (IRASA)
Cllr. Wollaston Labuschagne
DA Ward Councillor in Ekurhuleni
