The Mpumalanga Department of Human Settlements is making every effort to house needy communities throughout the province. Through this endeavour, the department is faced with enormous challenges of untraceable beneficiaries in a number of areas at the three regions.
The challenges are that applicants get approved of houses and after the contractor has completed the project, they are NO where to be found. It is a great concern as there are people who have a great NEED for housing in the province and the country in general.
Approved beneficiaries are urged to always update their contact details with their respective municipalities. If they relocate or move to other areas due to having found work in those places or have other reasons for moving they should inform their municipalities. Unoccupied houses continue to be vandalised and the expense for the repairs on the damaged houses are left with the department. The community is also warned that they should not illegally occupy or invade un-occupied houses.
An untraceable beneficiary is one who has been approved through the housing subsidy system to benefit on government programmes. The department has made efforts through their councillors to try and find them. The affected areas are in Nkangala that include KwaZamokuhle at Steve Tshwete municipality, Moloto, Delmas and Emalahleni municipalities, whilst in Gert Sibande; Thand'ukukhanya in Piet Retief is the affected areas. These projects were approved in the 2007/08 financial year completed around May 2009. The contractor responsible in this project was Ms Ruth Mthembu of Good Fellas Trading.
The implication when the houses are not occupied is that the houses get vandalised, there are costs incurred when the houses are repaired and that the municipality may deregister the beneficiary and register the one on the waiting list. The contractor has to hire security services to guard the unoccupied houses until the houses are occupied. The applicants can consult their housing offices in their respective municipalities or departmental regional offices namely:
Gert Sibande
Tel: 017 811 1177
Nkangala
Tel: 013 656 1066
Ehlanzeni region
Tel: 013 752 6063
Contact person:
Freddy Ngobe
Cell: 082 859 4630
Tel: 013 766 6014
Issued by: Department of Human Settlements, Mpumalanga Provincial Government
28 September 2009
