GEORGE NEWS - A group of Pacaltsdorp residents on Friday 19 December took part in a protest in Rosedale over alleged illegal sales and the unfair allocation of RDP houses, as well as a perceived lack in transparency in the housing application process.
Their aim was to hand over a memorandum of their concerns to George Mayor Browen Johnson, but he was not present to receive it.
Herman Philander, spokesperson for the Pacaltsdorp Community Men’s Group, that organised the protest in collaboration with the Pacaltsdorp Community Women’s Group, said they were informed that Johnson had had prior commitments. He will therefore be delivering the memorandum via e-mail to the mayor.
According to memorandum, the community has reliable information indicating that certain housing beneficiaries have illegally sold or rented out housing units, in some cases before title deeds were issued. These houses were intended for needy residents who have been on the housing waiting waiting list for 15 to 20 years.
“Residents have observed that individuals who have been on the housing waiting list for only 2 to 3 years have received houses, while others - particularly elderly residents and long-standing families - continue to wait for decades. This raises serious concerns regarding fairness, transparency and compliance with lawful administrative procedures," reads the memorandum.
The unhappy group want an independent investigation done into all alleged illegal sales, rentals and misuse of housing units, and the immediate suspension of all irregular transactions.
They also request that no title deeds, transfers or registrations should be approved where illegal sales or breaches occurred, and that all unlawfully obtained or sold houses be reallocated to residents with the longest waiting period.
They furthermore demand a full disclosure of the housing waiting list, including names (where legally permissible), year of registration, date of allocation, and allocation criteria.
George Herald has requested George Municipality's comment which will be published as soon as it is received.
‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’
