Houses ‘are paid up’

ANGRY Lentegeur residents are refusing to co-operate with the Western Cape government’s ‘Krismis Box’ plan which promises to scrap rental arrears.

Earlier this year, Premier Ebrahim Rasool along with Housing MEC Richard Dyanti announced that plans would be made to finalise the housing issue.

“Because the Old House of Representatives didn’t do their job properly, we now sit with a housing problem that has to be solved,” Rasool told residents in one of the classrooms at Lentegeur Senior Secondary where the meeting was held.

“By Christmas the people of Lentegeur must feel that the problem has been solved around the housing issue which has been coming on for years.”

Rasool added that there will be definite relief for residents.

“For most people there’ll be great relief, but for others not,” he said.

“The housing MEC has applied his mind so that the arrears, the R12.5 million, could be reduced to just over R1 million. People can work with us to pay their outstanding debt which would be very minimal. Community development workers will inform residents what they owe and where to go for assistance. Our plan is to assist everyone.”

It was further stated by the head of the provincial housing department, Ms Shanaaz Majiet, that the local department of housing will be stationed in the area in the following weeks to inform residents of their balances.

However, a few residents are refusing to be involved in the process.

Mr Ebrahim Jenniker, a resident, said they are calling on the government to “prove where the arrears are coming from”.

Jenniker said many of the houses, were valued at around R14 000, were bought in 1987 and through resident’s own calculations, “we have already paid our houses finished”.

“In 1993 we already paid R7 200 on our homes. We were then told that we would receive R7 500. So if you add it up, by that time our houses were finished paid,” said Jenniker.

He added that because local government did not have any records, they “can’t answer where the arrears comes from”.

Ms Pat Debba, whose house was orginally valued R13 152, said she received a statement from local government stating that she had a balance of R85 000.

“Where does these arrears come from. We can’t ask questions because they don’t have the right answers. Housing is not a political issue, it is a human issue.”

Debba said many residents were questioning “where our money really went”.

According to Debba, although the houses were valued at around R14 000, certain residents have received statements of arrears totalling around R16 000, R25 000 and R81 000.

“Our receipts are worth more than our debt,” said Debba. She added that her own receipts added up to more than her arrears.

Another resident, Mrs Ragmat Gedaar whose house was valued at R12 656, is in possession of R26 000 worth of receipts. After a visit to the housing department’s points in Mitchell’s Plain, she has discovered that her arrears is R1 500.

Debba said the situation has infuriated residents.

“This is no Krismas Box. The people of Lentegeur want nothing for free, we have paid our houses and we want things to be resolved.” - MetroBurger