Qunu community angered by RDP housing placements

Residents of the Qunu informal settlement in Port Elizabeth staged a protest on Friday, claiming sites that had been earmarked for RDP homes were being given, or sold, to people not on the original RDP list.

At a meeting, residents demanded that ward 29 councillor Vukile Dyele and municipal housing officials open a case of corruption.

Fundiswa Mazwana said community members believed people were relocated to sites earmarked for RDP homes corruptly.

“There are five people who arrived in December 2019 after the municipality had said it wouldn’t take any further names [for RDP homes] because they had finished taking names,” Mazwana said.

She said that the five people had been suddenly relocated to the site despite the list being complete and the people being new to the area.

According to Dyele, the process to be listed for a RDP house started in July 2019, with a street committee working with the municipal human settlements office to draw up the list.

“The street and area committees [allegedly] sold sites,” Dyele said.

“They put people who weren’t supposed to be relocated [given RDP houses on the list]. The community called us and they [allegedly] have evidence.

“The street and area committees were relieved from their duties. Ward committees, councillors and the municipality will now work together because there was no transparency before.”

Municipal spokesperson Mamela Ndamase said the municipality was aware of the allegations which were later referred to the SA Police Service.

“However, the city cannot act on the corruption allegations until these are confirmed cases,” Ndamase said.

Police spokesperson Capt Sandra Janse van Rensburg did not respond to a request about whether any cases had been laid.