Family still out in the cold in RDP debacle
SIX years after being approved for an RDP house in Nompumelelo location, Zwelidinga Nkamba is yet to live in his government home.
The father of four, who lives on a pensioner’s social grant, said he had been sent from pillar to post when he enquired about his house, which was first approved by the municipal council on March 15, 2011, when he discovered it was being occupied by somebody else.
Nkamba, 62, said at the time of approval he had been living in an informal structure with his wife and children.
“I have raised this matter with my ward [15] councillor, Makhaya Bopi, on many occasions and although I had lost hope, my children have pushed me not to despair but to keep fighting until we get what is due to us.
“My children are currently living in the homelands [former Transkei], in absolute poverty because we are homeless in East London. I am now left to live on the streets and bushes because I can only get to do piece jobs here, but they also want to come and live in the city, to get better opportunities.
“I cannot understand how the municipality can allow an unlawful occupant to live in a house built for me.
“How is their verification carried out and why is it taking them so long to do something about it?” he asked.
Bopi said he was aware of the problem and was engaging with housing portfolio head Nozandile Mhlola to get resolutions to assist Nkamba, and many others like him.
“This is not the first case of double allocation, which is what happened here. There are many of them in this area and I have been echoing them to the portfolio heads of 2011 – 2016. “They left and never resolved it. “While some cases are of double allocation, others are of people approved for housing, yet they are still living in shacks or are homeless.
“However, this week Mr Nkambe and I went to the city hall to engage with Nozandile Mhlola, whom we’ve scheduled a meeting with for August 21,” he said.
Buffalo City Metro spokesman Samkelo Ngwenya promised to probe the matter.
“In keeping with our housing commitments, Buffalo City Metro has adopted a new and improved allocation and relocation policy to curb dubious beneficiary lists and unfair allocation of government houses,” he said.
He said the new policy would ensure that the rightful beneficiaries occupy houses. —