Johannesburg officials were in Soweto this weekend, where many RDP housing recipients were unable to receive their title deeds.
Housing officials in Johannesburg have advised Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) housing beneficiaries not to sell their homes.
Beneficiaries in Braamfischerville received the title deeds to their new homes, but over 200 were held back by the city due to verification discrepancies.
Officials were meant to hand over at least 260 title deeds this weekend, but only 25 could be properly issued due to improper sales.
RDP houses sold
It is illegal to sell RDP title deeds, and those currently being held by the city have been wrongfully purchased, creating a mismatch on the city’s records.
MMC for Human Settlements Mlungisi Mabaso and Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero were in the Soweto suburb this weekend to greet new housing recipients.
Mabaso warned that selling RDP homes hampered the city’s housing objectives and created administrative problems for officials.
The government provides a house, and then it is sold to another person. This buyer subsequently approaches our office seeking a title deed, only to be informed that they are not recognised beneficiaries, leading to the refusal of title deed issuance,” Mabaso said.
“RDPs are not for sale. When you sell your RDP, you then return to informal settlements demanding a house, which cannot be realised as our system permits only a single benefit,” he added.
Community members said some RDP homes were being sold to foreign nationals, leading Mabaso to stress that homes were intended to be a building block of economic stability.
‘Invest in your properties’
Mayor Morero reiterated that RDP homes served as assets that could be used to secure the future of the next generation.
“You can also have a will so that when you are no longer there, your children do not start fighting over your property,” he said.
Braamfischerville has 11 extensions that are currently subject to RDP developments, with a further three in the process of township formalisation.
Morero urged recipients to closely guard their title deeds and build their homes into beacons of community progress.
“When you all invest in your properties, it improves their value. On the day you want to leave Gauteng, you will leave your children with a beautiful home that they are proud of,” the mayor concluded.
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