The Western Cape government said on Monday it had no legal recourse against housing recipients who sold their state-subsidised properties.
Housing MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela has been conducting an audit in an attempt to determine how many government houses in the area have been occupied illegally.
Around 90 percent of all properties inspected were either leased or sold by the initial recipients.
Madikizela said although their hands were tied, all was not lost.
“In some instances where a house has been sold before eight years, that house still belongs to us. We will then profile the person who is inside that house. If that person does not qualify to be in that house; they must pay us the money we’ve used to build that house or get out,” said Madikizela.
He added many homes were sold by cash-strapped recipients.
“When people come to Cape Town or George; they do not necessarily come for housing. They are mainly here looking for economic opportunities; they then use the houses we give them to leverage for an income,” said Madikizela.
- Eyewitness News
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