Angry Manenberg residents are calling for a forensic audit into the allocation of houses in a new City of Cape Town development in the area.
The Manenberg Action Group (MAG) say despite protests, marches and memorandums to Mayor Dan Plato, their pleas for transparency have fallen on deaf ears.
MAG chairperson, Yusuf Gelderbloem, says the community is gatvol of pleading for answers about who the houses have been allocated to, amid claims.
“Last year the City launched the project and they were going to build more than 100 houses in Irvine Street, but there were complaints about corruption as some people as young as 25 were receiving houses, but there are pensioners who are not,” says Gelderbloem.
“We questioned this and asked to see the waiting list, but we got no answers.
“There was also a requirement that the beneficiaries should earn less than R3 500 a month, but there are people who earn more.”
He says more than a week after handing a memorandum to ward councillor Bonita Jacobs intended for Plato, they are still waiting for answers.
“We marched to her and gave the memorandum where we called for a forensic audit into the allocation of the houses, but we have still not heard anything back. All we want is transparency,” says Gelderbloem.
Mayco member for human settlements, Malusi Booi, says a total of 587 houses will be built, of which 110 units are in Irvine Street.
“Approximately R70 million has been earmarked for top structures and R9 million has been set aside for the electrical reticulation,” he says.
“A total of 217 houses have been handed over to date, and a number of new units are nearing completion.”
He says beneficiaries are allocated according to the City’s Allocation Policy and the housing database to ensure that housing opportunities are provided to qualifying applicants in a fair, transparent and equitable manner, and to prevent queue-jumping.
“The City, therefore, takes allegations of corruption very seriously and is willing to investigate claims in this regard.
“However, in order to do so, complainants need to report the allegations in writing to the City, providing the details, including names of individuals involved, as well as applicable evidence,” said Booi.
Plato did not respond to questions about the memorandum.