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Hundreds of housing units in Welverdiend, Carletonville are at risk of being vandalized as they have been completed and left unoccupied, at least 1.2 million Gauteng residents are in dire need of dignified housing.

Currently, there are 4133 Breaking New Ground (BNG) units which are part of the Elijah Barayi Village Mega Housing Project that are completed but standing empty because there was a delay in the internal electrification of the units. In addition, to the housing units, 5200 serviced stands have also been completed.

This information was revealed to me in a reply to the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) written questions tabled in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL) to the MEC for Human Settlements, Lebogang Maile.

Based on previous experience, completed housing projects which are left unoccupied are vulnerable to illegal occupation, and vandalism and become the ideal hideout for criminals thereby putting the lives of our residents in danger. This will also cost the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements more money to fix the damage and evict the illegal occupants.

The rightful beneficiaries of these housing units are now being denied access to dignified housing due to such unnecessary delays.

The DA will be closely monitoring this project as MEC Maile has indicated that all the units will be allocated during this financial year. The DA will continue the fight for dignified housing for all residents and we be writing to MEC Maile to ascertain the exact date as to when all the units will be occupied by their rightful beneficiaries.

Issued by Evert Du Plessis MPL - DA Constituency Head- West Rand