Social housing giant suspends staff

EIGHT staff members from social housing group Communicare are being investigated for alleged fraud.

The Cape Argus understands that the workers were suspended last week and are facing a disciplinary hearing. They include one maintenance manager, two portfolio managers, one housing assistant, two building supervisors, one community liaison officer and one portfolio assistant.

Communicare chief executive Anthea Houston said: “Communicare remains committed to the delivery of social housing in Cape Town. We do so with honesty and integrity.

“Allegations of corruption have been brought to my attention by tenants and employees in the maintenance and leasing department.

“I thank those who have done the right thing and alerted us to possible corruption.

“We are investigating these allegations. The board and I have a zerotolerance approach to corruption.

Severe action will be taken against employees found guilty of infringing our values of integrity and accountability. I can confirm that as a result of the investigation, a few employees have taken leave of absence. More information will be available once the investigation is concluded.”

Residents are calling for the social housing giant to be audited.

Neville Petersen, resident and spokesperson for Foundation Community Development, the organisation representing the tenants, said: “We have demanded that the organisation be audited because we suspect there is corruption within it and we are outraged.”

Petersen said the residents have requested management, in particular, be audited.

“We are disappointed. We are feeling the pinch while the top brass flaunt their wealth.”

Another resident, John Adams, said the issue had opened a can of worms.

“This does not sit well with residents because we have been demanding that the Hawks get involved and urgently intervene in this matter.”

In October, the Rental Tribunal ordered Communicare to scrap the rent arrears from Adams.

He was on the verge of being evicted by Communicare after it took him to court. He suffered a stroke before he could hear the tribunal’s verdict.

Adams is now a grant recipient who has been renting from Communicare since 1998.

Adams argued that his 2010 tribunal complaint about the high rent was interrupted by court proceedings Communicare instituted against him for failing to pay his rent.

The tribunal ruled that Communicare write off all the arrears from 2010.