Joburg to sort out its homes list

Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba said yesterday he would finalise a proper housing list within 90 days as he fights land invasion.

With less than a month in office, Mashaba said he needed a comprehensive plan to accommodate city residents and discourage land invasion.

The lack of a proper housing list contributed to land invasion.

Mashaba said he had asked the housing team to clean up the list and give him a credible document within 90 days. "We need to clean the system and begin to allocate houses to those who have followed the right channels."

Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga has warned people unlawfully occupying houses and invading land, as happened in Mamelodi's Nelmapius last month.

Gauteng Co-operative Governance, Traditional Affairs and Human Settlements MEC Paul Mashatile yesterday criticised land invaders vandalising RDP houses in Kagiso extension 13, near Krugersdorp, on the West Rand.

"The contractor was in the final stages," he said. "Damage will delay allocation. Beneficiaries will spend more time in shacks as we have to assess damage and repair [the houses]. When budgeting for the project no money is allocated for repair work. Repairing houses means other projects will suffer.

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"We call on people not to be misled by self-serving people posing as leaders. People behind invasions do not want the area to develop," said Mashatile.

Gauteng's housing department said people would in future get state-subsidised houses and ownership papers simultaneously.

The acting head of the Human Settlements Department, Daniel Molokomme, told MPs yesterday the department would spend R62-million in allocating 34444 title deeds this financial year.

The department was taking a conciliatory approach to land and housing invasions, most recently in Vlakfontein and Kagiso extension 13, on the West Rand.

Occupants of invaded properties would be allowed to fill in subsidy forms and be allocated title deeds if they qualified.