Plumstead low-cost tenants face possible eviction

TENANTS living in Plumstead low-cost government houses face potential eviction to Pelican Park because their monthly earnings are below the R3 500 stipulated by the new Revised Rental Housing Strategy document of the Western Cape Human Settlements Department.

According to the document, only tenants in Naruna Estate earning between R3 500 and R15 000 per month would qualify to live there, said Naruna Estate Residents Association (Nera) chairperson Karen Salojee.

The tenants became aware of the Revised Rental Housing Strategy document document through letters sent by the department in 2015, she said.

“With the letter came an ultimatum – that those earning in the bracket of R0 to R3 500 per month move out of Plumstead to Pelican Park to readily built houses,” said Salojee.

“We were not happy with the decision, due to Pelican Park being located on the outskirts (of the Southern Suburbs). Where we live now there is infrastructure,” she added.

She said more than 50% of tenants in Naruna Estate’s 156 units of flats and semi-detached houses earn less than R3 500.

Salojee claimed that, besides one public meeting MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela had with tenants on November 24, 2015, to discuss their concerns and opposition to moving to Pelican Park, there had not been a public participation process around the Revised Rental Housing Strategy document.

Nera had failed to secure follow-up meetings with Madikizela, or obtain more information.

However, Madikizela’s spokesperson Ntomboxolo Makoba-Somdaka said there had been an extensive public participation process of community meetings, focus groups and media engagements in 2015.

Makoba-Somdaka said tenants were informed that the department would introduce an upgraded management system of its rental stock that would include amended leases to all leaseholders, an improvement in the maintenance of units and a firmer enforcement of the terms and conditions of the lease agreement.