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Thieves strip empty RDP houses as families refuse to move

  • New temporary houses worth R30-million in Walmer, Gqeberha are being stripped by criminals while standing empty.
  • Most families won’t move in because they fear they won’t get permanent houses later, leaving the buildings open to theft.

Criminals are stealing doors and windows from hundreds of new temporary houses in Walmer, Gqeberha, because people meant to live there refuse to move in.

The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality built the R30-million temporary housing units (TRU) project for 500 families from the Airport Valley informal settlement.

The families were meant to stay there while their permanent RDP houses were built.

Only 30 families moved to the new site in November 2024. More than 400 others stayed put, worried they might not get houses if they moved.

The municipality split the families into two groups. Those on the housing list were meant to go to a place called 1948, which has water and electricity.

Those not on the list were to move to Solomon, across the road, which has no services.

Residents say they won’t budge until all houses have proper services and their children get transport to school.

The municipality got a court order to force people to move but hasn’t used it yet. Meanwhile, thieves are stripping the empty houses and vandalising them piece by piece.

DA MPL Retief Odendaal visited the TRU project on Friday and was shocked by what he found.

“The fact that beneficiaries are delaying their relocation, fully aware that they are postponing the construction of their own permanent RDP houses, highlights the extent of the trust deficit between the residents and the metro,” he said.

Odendaal said the DA would push for:

– The municipality to guard the site

– Help from the Eastern Cape human settlements department

– Fixing damaged houses

– A proper moving plan that includes talking to residents.

The municipality did not respond to questions from Scrolla.Africa.

Pictured above: The vandalised temporary housing site in Walmer township, Gqeberha.

Source: Supplied