Almost 20,000 people have turned up at different centres around Gauteng to help update the database of people who have applied for government houses.

The Demand Database campaign, Ziveze, was unveiled in Sebokeng in the Vaal three weeks ago by the Gauteng Department of Housing to urge people to come forward and update their details.

It is a working tool aimed at improving the information system for people applying for housing assistance in the province.

The demand database was introduced in order to allow the department to put all its efforts in planning and allocating houses to those who qualify and have never received government assistance.

The updating of the applicants' details has been necessitated by shortcomings identified during the audit of the waiting list in the past years, where 50% of identity document (ID) numbers were invalid and 65% did not match the applicants' records.

The department also said some residential addresses were blank and some deceased applicants still appeared on the list.

Commending all the people who heeded the call to come forward and update their information, Housing MEC Nomvula Mokonyane on Monday said she was overwhelmed by the support for the campaign.

"It is overwhelming to see that most of the targeted beneficiaries are participating in this project.

"Among other things, the implementation of this project will not only allow the department to plan according to beneficiaries' needs, choices and affordability, but will also ensure efficient and effective service delivery," Mokonyane said.

She warned against opportunistic and misleading allegations that the housing list is being scrapped to start over again.

"Our approach is clear - we are still committed to give priority to all those people who applied for houses since 1996," said the MEC. – Bathandwa Mbola, BuaNews

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