Residents accused of jumping queue

BENEFICIARIES of government homes in Amalinda Forest have accused their councillor of political meddling, leading to the illegal occupation of new temporary homes.

Residents claimed Monwabisi Mahodi was trying to bypass or alter the beneficiary list to give 10 of the pre-fabricated homes to people of his choice.

Beneficiary Corea Krwala accused him of painting some beneficiaries as EFF supporters. “But what does that matter? We are all members of the community.”

She claimed the beneficiary list had been approved at community meetings.

Mahodi, who is the ward 16 councillor in the Buffalo City Metro, denied the claims. He said the residents who claimed to be rightful beneficiaries jumped the list and occupied the houses illegally.

“Those people are illegally occupying those 10 temporary houses. They forced themselves inside those houses,” Mahodi said.

The allegations came a week after provincial human settlements MEC Helen Sauls-August vowed to crack down on illegal occupation of government-provided homes.

Explaining the context, Amalinda Forest residents said they themselves were illegally occupying land, but the department built them temporary homes while new homes were being sourced. “We were told we will be moved to these new temporary structures as beneficiaries. But the councillor now is dividing us as the community because he wants to provide these structures for people of his choice,” said Nomfanelo Bottoman. Bottoman said their 1998 application for homes was only approved in 2002.

It had been a long time without a proper home and “now our councillor is victimising us because he wants to satisfy his people,” he said.

However, Mahodi said there were 67 houses that were initially provided for the Amalinda Forest community and the people who are now accusing him are among the people who illegally occupied these houses during the first phase of the housing project. “Now they see we are improving these new temporary houses, they are jumping the list,” he said.

Human settlements department spokesman Lwandile Sicwetsha said Amalinda Forest beneficiaries were occupying land owned by the South African Homeless People’s Federation (SAHPF).

“Sixty-seven shelters were erected on land belonging to the SAHPF who bought the land from BCM in 2010. [BCM] secured alternative land for the households,” Sicwetsha said.

Sicwetsha said the department, through its emergency housing programme, had erected the first 10 shelters as per the BCM request and more shelters would be erected until all 67 households were accommodated on the alternative land. However, Sicwetsha said: “The relocation process is the responsibility of BCM.”

BCM failed to reply to questions sent on Tuesday.

“Our councillor went back on the initial agreement we had when we were told we have to move. The 10 people that were on the initial beneficiary list are now at loggerheads with other members of the community,” Krwala said. — siphem@dispatch.co.za