No house, but she still got a rates bill
● As Nomaza Nomandela occupied land in Hermanus, she got an SMS demanding payment of rates for a house she has never seen.
Nomandela, 52, was among hundreds of backyard dwellers in the Western Cape coastal town’s Zwelihle township who demanded housing from the Overstrand municipality last week.
During the protests, a library, a satellite police station and a bus were set alight. People took over vacant land including a former dumpsite they named Marikana.
Nomandela is a hotel cleaner and has been moving from one backyard to another with her family. She has been on the local housing list for 12 years.
Last Friday she and hundreds of others were taking over municipal land behind her shack when she got the SMS indicating her municipal account was in arrears. She said the SMSes started in November.
“I received a letter that indicated that my house was ready in May 2016,” she said.
“I took all the necessary documents to the local municipal office, but when I got there officials told me that I do not qualify for a house because I earned more than R3 500. I was puzzled because my supervisor, who earned more than me, got a house. One of the officials said to me that he was not going to ‘perform magic’ for me to get a house.
“Then I started receiving SMSes last year from the municipality informing me about a municipal bill I knew nothing about.
“The messages do not give me an address for the house. The last one I got came through while I was at the housing protest. This can only mean that my home was given to someone else.”
Nomandela shares the backyard – which has one toilet — with four other families. Her rent was recently hiked from R200 to R600 because she has a big family.
“At one stage I had to take out a loan, which I am still paying, and contribute R3 500 towards the municipal bill, which my landlord had neglected. I wanted water and electricity to be restored,” said Nomandela. “I also want to own a home and have a title deed, just like others.”
Overstrand manager Coenie Groenewald said the municipality would investigate Nomandela’s case, but this could take some time because the housing office was burnt during the protests.
“I had to ask my financial officer to look at the reason why this lady was receiving SMSes demanding a payment. But on our financial system she can’t be traced,” said Groenewald.
“As far as her application for a house is concerned . . . [officials] need to look at that for me as well.”