Woman goes to court to demand her RDP house
Source: Sowetanlive, by Isaac Mahlangu
Buthelezi, 46, is one of 294 residents of Sibongile township in Dundee, KwaZulu-Natal, involved in a class action against their municipality over the allocation of RDP houses. The case will be heard today.
Frustrated and seeking answers, residents formed Endumeni Civic Association to lead the battle over the allocation of RDP houses three years ago.
Buthelezi’s story is outlined by Muziwakhe Sithebe, the chairman of the association, in his founding affidavit.
The association now seeks a court order to compel the municipality to provide a report that identifies all RDP house applicants and a plan on how the process of allocating the houses is implemented.
The Endumeni local municipality is accused of manipulating waiting lists for RDP housing and having unclear housing allocation systems and policies.
Sithebe stated in court papers that in some instances the municipality would allocate a single house to three applicants.
“The [waiting] lists have been tampered with by the officials of the first respondent [municipality],” stated Sithole.
Sithebe stated that Buthelezi’s RDP house was approved in 2008 and a stand was even allocated to her.