Western Cape denies evicting tenants from rental stock

The Western Cape government’s Human Settlements department has vehemently denied reports that families are being evicted from their rental units.

Cape Town – Reports of families being forcibly removed from their rented government units in the Western Cape were vehemently refuted by the province’s Human Settlements department on Thursday.

“Just to clarify, no one is being evicted who was our tenant, who has honoured our lease agreement. No one,” said MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela.

Madikizela addressed media, clarifying what criteria needed to be met in order to qualify for tenancy in the province’s rental stock. This includes South African citizenship, a household income of between R3 500 and R15 000, be married or have dependents and be free of any other ownership of immovable property.

Units within the Department’s rental property pool include the Mandarin Court Rental Flats in Gardens, Rugby Rental Flats in Milnerton, La Colline Rental Flats in Stellenbosch – and the three most contentious properties of late – De Waal Drive Rental Flats, Sanddrift East, and Naruna Estate Rental Flats.

Last year, Madikizela addressed media on similar allegations of forced removals from De Waal Drive. At the time, these allegations were also denied and the MEC had explained that those tenants who could no longer afford renting, were welcome to migrate to another government programme – Breaking New Ground (BNG) – and relocate to the “state-of-the-art” housing units in Pelican Park. BNG is one of 16 programmes within the Department and is aimed at eradicating informal settlements in the country.

Madikizela reiterated this on Thursday. “These are free houses allocated to applicants who meet the qualifying criteria,” said Madikizela.

The criteria for BNG was a maximum income of R3 500 and/or no income.

“Through this programme, individuals who struggle to pay rent are offered the opportunity of home ownership,” he said.

Home ownership, said the MEC, was the biggest issue raised by tenants, particularly those in Plumstead’s Naruna Estate, which - collectively - was in arrears of over R2 million and houses the most pensioners and unemployed tenants of the property pool.

“If you want to own [property], opt out of the rental programme,” said Madikizela, directing residents to consider another one of the department’s housing programmes.

Another issue, Madikizela said, that the Naruna tenants were raising was that of inheritance. “You do not inherit rental accommodation if the agreement is between the Department and your mother and father.”

Equally, he said, a place on the department’s housing waiting list could not be inherited if your parent died.

“With a housing backlog of over 500 000, it is just impossible for the Department to provide everyone with a house,” said Madikizela.

“We have to make sure that we respect our waiting list.”

Madikizela also sought to clear up the allegation that the Department had evicted a mother, Lee Ann Baxter, and her 16-year-old son.

“That was never our tenant. We had no lease agreement with that individual,” said Madikizela.

According to the MEC, Baxter technically owed the government about R8 000, but, as there was no existing lease agreement, they simply wanted her to respect due process and vacate.

Madikizela added that neighbours had informed government of Baxter’s alleged illegal occupation.

“If you invade land or our property illegally, we have to make the law takes its course,” he said.

“Eviction becomes the last resort if people do not want to respect due processes.”

African News Agency