Rightful Home Owner Deserves Dignity — DA

by Cllr Mabekenyane Thamahane — DA Shadow MMC for Human Settlements in Ekurhuleni

Date: 17 August 2021

Release: Immediate

Type: Media Statement

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Ekurhuleni has slammed the ANC-led coalition in the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) for failing recipients of RDP homes, as housing corruption continues unabated.

This comes after we uncovered an RDP home that is being illegally occupied, while the rightful owner is forced to live in a shack in Ramaphosa. Mr Lucase Magane, the rightful beneficiary of an RDP house, he received in 2013, has been unable to move into his home due to the property being illegally occupied. He, however, continues to receive municipal bills from the City, which is already in excess of R35000 and the account has now been handed over for collection due to non-payment.

I have escalated this injustice to the City’s senior management. It is appalling that the rightful owner is forced to live in squalor, and yet receives municipal bills for his home, while it is illegally occupied. Having been on the RDP housing list for years, Mr Magane’s dreams of having a home and securing a legacy for his family has been torn apart.

For many years, Mr Magane fought this matter himself. However, every avenue failed and he was advised that he must pay for his own lawyer to have the illegal occupier evicted. Unfortunately, this costly exercise has not been an avenue for Mr Magane, due to financial constraints.

We have been working closely with Mr Magane to ensure justice is served and Mr Magane is given his home. We have been intensifying this matter to various departments and senior officials, calling for decisive and bold action to rectify this injustice.

Sadly, the unsatisfactory response from these officials forced us to escalate this matter to the City Manager, Dr Imogen Mashazi. The City’s response merely acknowledged that the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements did award Mr Magane the house in question and that it is being illegally occupied.

The ANC-led City further recommended that this matter be referred to the Gauteng Provincial Human Settlement Department for legal action against the illegal occupier.

Following pressure from the DA, the Finance Department has also been instructed to clear the municipal debt against Mr Magane.

While we welcome this instruction, we are continuing to fight for the rule of law to be applied and requesting the Corporate and Legal Department to begin the eviction process against the illegal occupant of Mr Magane’s property. We are calling for this matter to be expedited so that Mr Magane and his family can finally have closure. As they have been seriously affected and suffered for many years due to this criminal activity.

As the DA, we find it appalling that despite the ANC and its coalition partners being alerted to this criminal activity, the unwillingness and lack of political will to ensure the rightful beneficiary is given the dignity to live in their home is disgraceful. The ANC is not serious about ending house corruption. Instead the ANC-appointed Mayor, Cllr Mzwandile Masina, merely pays lip service to ending corruption.

We are a party of law, and we will not rest until Mr Magane’s house is returned to him. We will escalate this matter through every legal avenue to ensure justice is served.

#Time4Change

Cllr Mabekenyane Thamahane

DA Shadow MMC for Human Settlements in Ekurhuleni