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The DA will write to Gauteng Human Settlements MEC, Paul Mashatile to ascertain exactly how many unoccupied housing projects there are in the province, who the beneficiaries of these houses are, and when they can expect to take occupation of these houses.

The DA receives daily complaints from residents of communities across the province who have been relocated with no alternative accommodation made available to them as well as complaints about RDP developments standing vacant.

Provincial housing developments that go unoccupied, often with no explanation from the department as to why beneficiaries cannot be moved into them, are often subject to vandalism and theft.

It is not uncommon to hear stories of people “buying” these house for amounts of R10 000 from so-called officials from the Department of Human Settlements. In instances like these, people lose the money they have spent because they are evicted for illegal occupation.

In a province with a housing backlog of 600 000, it beggars belief that MEC Mashatile has not established a unit within the department to fast-track the occupation of existing vacant provincially-built homes.

There are thousands of people across the province who applied for housing as far back as 1996, and are still waiting for a place to call home.

The DA will continue to hold public officials and state entities who mismanage to account.

Issued by DA