Thousands of Gauteng residents who have spent years waiting for government housing could soon receive the homes allocated to them as the provincial government prepares to evict illegal occupants from completed state-funded housing projects.The Gauteng Department of Human Settlements (GDHS) said it will, in the coming weeks, execute court orders to reclaim unlawfully occupied houses and hand them over to qualifying beneficiaries on the provincial Housing Demand Database.
GDHS spokesperson Tahir Sema said every illegally occupied house deprives a deserving family of a home.”Every unit that is unlawfully occupied is a home denied to a family that followed the rules and is legitimately on the waiting list,” Sema said.He said once illegal occupants have been removed, the department will inspect the houses, carry out any necessary repairs and allocate them to verified beneficiaries.
Gauteng MEC for Human Settlements Tasneem Motara said the operation was aimed at restoring fairness to thousands of residents who had waited patiently for housing.”Government builds these homes at great public expense for people who have registered, qualified and waited their turn,” Motara said.She warned that the provincial government would not allow opportunistic individuals or housing syndicates to profit from the housing backlog.”Where the courts have granted us orders, we will act on them, and we will keep acting on them,” she said.
The department said it would not disclose the locations of the affected housing projects before the evictions to safeguard the operation. The evictions will be carried out in accordance with court orders by the Sheriff of the Court, supported by law enforcement agencies.The GDHS also warned that the illegal occupation of land and completed government houses is a criminal offence that places further strain on the province’s housing programme.
Residents have been urged to reject housing syndicates, report illegal occupations to the South African Police Service, and help protect homes intended for legitimate beneficiaries.People who want to check their housing application status or update their details have been encouraged to visit their nearest Housing Office to ensure their information is captured on the provincial Housing Demand Database.
