A housing crisis in Westonaria has driven residents from Bekkersdal, Simunye, and Mohlakeng to illegally occupy houses in the Westonaria Borwa residential area. Some families moved into vacant units as far back as 2021. Residents claim they were encouraged to occupy the houses after a WhatsApp voicenote circulated in the community, urging approved housing beneficiaries to move into unoccupied units.
At least 14 government housing projects across Gauteng have been taken over by desperate home seekers who have occupied unfinished and vacant properties after years of waiting for allocation. State inefficiencies have been blamed for the illegal grab of the RDP houses. The occupations involve houses intended for qualifying beneficiaries, with some units already vandalized when squatters moved in.
Among the occupiers is 44-year-old Mapule Mokone, who has been on the housing waiting list for 18 years and was approved for a house but never allocated one. Mokone said many of the houses had already been vandalized when squatters moved in, and residents had to repair them themselves. She argued that residents felt justified in occupying the houses because they had spent years waiting while the units stood empty and almost complete.
Another resident, 58-year-old Andiswa Rabula, said she moved into the development because she could no longer afford rent and was unemployed. Rabula now lives with her two children and four grandchildren. She expressed concerns about being evicted and said that if they want to chase them from the houses, the government must provide suitable accommodation for their families.
Community leader Paseka Ndevu said many of the occupiers were elderly, disabled, or long-standing housing applicants who had been waiting for homes since the 1990s. Ndevu argued that residents had helped save the houses from further destruction. He emphasized that the occupiers are not trying to be lawless but are desperate for housing.
Gauteng human settlements MEC Tasneem Motara said 14 of the province's 45 housing projects have been affected by unlawful occupation over the past five years. Motara stated that the department pursued lengthy court processes to obtain eviction orders to remove squatters. The occupations have resulted in stolen electricity and unpaid water bills, adding to the challenges faced by the community.
The occupations have left the human settlements department struggling to complete projects, with spokesperson Luzuko Pongoma stating that the project could not be completed as planned because of the occupation. The department is working closely with the municipality to find a solution, but a clear plan for resolving the situation remains unclear.
Key points
- Hundreds of families have occupied unfinished and vacant government housing projects in Gauteng, South Africa.
- State inefficiencies have been blamed for the illegal grab of the RDP houses.
- The occupations have resulted in stolen electricity and unpaid water bills, adding to the challenges faced by the community.
