BENEFICIARIES of the Mama's Housing Project in Pelican Park have decided to appoint legal representation to assist them in their ongoing battle to obtain houses on the site allocated for the project.
The plight of these beneficiaries, the number of which is still unclear due to suspect dealings by the previous managers of the project, has led to uncertainty as to who among them qualify for houses.
The project has been controversial since its inception, but has been brought to the spotlight in recent months for its mismanagement of beneficiaries and funds.
It was said that 374 beneficiaries had paid money for houses, but the money has not been accounted for. The project was stopped by the provincial government.
An in-house investigation was commissioned by the Western Cape Department of Local Government and Housing and, as a result of the findings, the project's bank account was frozen.
It also resulted in the termination of the contract between the service provider, Mamas Housing Company, and the department.
The department then decided to take over the project. After the ongoing investigations and the halting of the project, many beneficiaries have erected so-called "illegal" Wendy houses on the land.
This has caused an uproar among the residents in the vicinity, who claim crime has escalated due to the arrival of these "illegal squatters". This resulted in the city taking action against the province, the owner of the land.
The city has served a notice on the province, demanding they apply for written approval by 1 January for the erected structures.
However, the province says it is conducting an eviction process to remove the settlers from the land. On Saturday, 8 December the beneficiaries of Mama's Housing Project met with their newly appointed lawyer, Igshaan Higgins of De Klerk and Van Gend Attorneys.
Higgins explained he would liaise with the various stakeholders, and that "nobody will be evicted".
He says he wants to make the beneficiaries case one of public interest, but he hopes the case can be settled outside of court.
During the meeting an interim committee was elected to act as liaison between Higgins and the beneficiaries.
Shireen Ishmail, one of the beneficiaries living on the land in Pelican Park who was elected as a committee member, explains she was informed that the beneficiaries would receive a notice of intent from the province by 15 December and will be served with eviction notices in January.
"With the appointment of the lawyer, we are feeling positive about our situation," she says.
An insider working for the province confirmed this to Peoples Post: "Our lawyers are going ahead with the process."
BKS, the consultants appointed to conduct a survey to ascertain who the beneficiaries are, will present a full report to the province by February, says the source.
"The process is coming along well and if they do not vacate the land, we will take the process to court," explains the source.
It is still unclear when building of the houses will commence, but the source explains that before the houses can be built, the "land invaders" need to be removed. - People's Post
The plight of these beneficiaries, the number of which is still unclear due to suspect dealings by the previous managers of the project, has led to uncertainty as to who among them qualify for houses.
The project has been controversial since its inception, but has been brought to the spotlight in recent months for its mismanagement of beneficiaries and funds.
It was said that 374 beneficiaries had paid money for houses, but the money has not been accounted for. The project was stopped by the provincial government.
An in-house investigation was commissioned by the Western Cape Department of Local Government and Housing and, as a result of the findings, the project's bank account was frozen.
It also resulted in the termination of the contract between the service provider, Mamas Housing Company, and the department.
The department then decided to take over the project. After the ongoing investigations and the halting of the project, many beneficiaries have erected so-called "illegal" Wendy houses on the land.
This has caused an uproar among the residents in the vicinity, who claim crime has escalated due to the arrival of these "illegal squatters". This resulted in the city taking action against the province, the owner of the land.
The city has served a notice on the province, demanding they apply for written approval by 1 January for the erected structures.
However, the province says it is conducting an eviction process to remove the settlers from the land. On Saturday, 8 December the beneficiaries of Mama's Housing Project met with their newly appointed lawyer, Igshaan Higgins of De Klerk and Van Gend Attorneys.
Higgins explained he would liaise with the various stakeholders, and that "nobody will be evicted".
He says he wants to make the beneficiaries case one of public interest, but he hopes the case can be settled outside of court.
During the meeting an interim committee was elected to act as liaison between Higgins and the beneficiaries.
Shireen Ishmail, one of the beneficiaries living on the land in Pelican Park who was elected as a committee member, explains she was informed that the beneficiaries would receive a notice of intent from the province by 15 December and will be served with eviction notices in January.
"With the appointment of the lawyer, we are feeling positive about our situation," she says.
An insider working for the province confirmed this to Peoples Post: "Our lawyers are going ahead with the process."
BKS, the consultants appointed to conduct a survey to ascertain who the beneficiaries are, will present a full report to the province by February, says the source.
"The process is coming along well and if they do not vacate the land, we will take the process to court," explains the source.
It is still unclear when building of the houses will commence, but the source explains that before the houses can be built, the "land invaders" need to be removed. - People's Post
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