By Mulalo Luvhimbi
Gauteng Human Settlements MEC Tasneem Motara has said that beneficiaries who rent out, lease or try to sell state-subsidised homes could face legal action.
She said the department had received reports of RDP houses in Merafong being vacated after beneficiaries took occupation.
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“Last month we had a multidisciplinary team of government, both from the province and the municipality in Merafong, where we received reports of houses that we handed over about 18 months ago. And it’s alleged that the beneficiaries have gone back to the informal settlements,” she said during visits to the Riverside View and Clayville mega-project developments.
She said this undermined efforts to reduce housing demand and informal settlement growth.
“The law… is very clear. If you do that and we get that report, the law will have to take its course — it’s illegal.”
She said informal settlements placed pressure on basic infrastructure, including through illegal water and electricity connections. They also exacerbated social problems, “including femicide”, crime, child neglect and abuse, because of the severe socioeconomic pressures residents face and the unsafe living conditions.
She outlined the province’s approach to mega-project developments, which are intended to combine housing with economic and social infrastructure.
She said a mega-project development must be sustainable and have economic and social benefits.
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“Where you stay must be close to where you work, we take that into consideration and work with the municipalities for development.
“We work very closely with the private sector. In some of our mega-project developments, the land is owned by the private sector. In others, it is owned by [government] and we make it available to the private developer to develop on our behalf. Depending on the needs of the municipality, the economic amenities will differ,” she told residents.
She said that subsidised housing should not be seen as the end of a citizen’s housing journey. “It’s meant to be a stepping stone, and it’s meant to assist you for where you are currently in your life, but that must not be the end of your life story,” she said.
