More than 150 families were evicted from the RDP houses built at Mtshebheni in Inanda outside Durban yesterday after living there for just a month. The eThekwini Council has accused the families of illegally occupying the houses.

The families are adamant that they have the right to occupy the houses as they had been bought from a council official and two associates. The officials have not been named at this stage.

The families each paid up to R15k for the homes. However, they were not given the title deeds to the properties and could provide no proof of ownership other than to claim that they had paid for the properties.

Apparently the official told these families that 250 “extra houses” had been built at the new township and that each family would be entitled to purchase one or more of those “extra” houses.

Busani Sokhela had apparently paid an initial deposit of R9k to secure four houses in the township. Another resident, Phumzile Mkhize said that she paid R15k to the official in July last year to purchase the house but had not been given a receipt for the money.

Apparently the official told her to move in immediately as other properties in the development were already being occupied. The residents who claimed they had paid for the properties were unable to produce any documentation to support the claims.

Moreover, a number of other people admitted to moving into the houses and occupying them illegally because they were “desperate” to have a roof over their heads.

The evicted families now have nowhere to stay and have appealed to the eThekwini Council or any other organisation to arrange temporary accommodation for them.

The official accused of taking money from residents in return for houses has denied the allegations. 

Meanwhile Nigel Gumede, chairman of the council’s housing committee says that the city will investigate the allegations.

He suggested that the residents who had allegedly paid a council official should lay criminal charges against the individual and his associates. He warned that the council would not tolerate the illegal occupation of RDP houses.

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