A local mother of two, Kebogile Selaledi, finds herself trapped in a housing limbo, 28 years after first applying for an RDP house with the Free State Department of Human Settlements.
Selaledi’s long wait began in August 1996, filled with the initial excitement of one day having a place to call her own. However, that dream slowly faded as the years passed without progress. Her situation was further complicated when she began to suspect her ex-husband had somehow taken her allocated house, though this later proved untrue.
In 2014, she attempted to restart the process by reapplying and was given a reference number. Her hopes were briefly raised in October of last year when she received a call from the Department of Human Settlements informing her that her RDP house had been approved and that she needed to fill in the requisite forms. Despite this communication, she remains without a home.
The case has taken another confusing turn. The department has now launched an investigation after it was discovered that Selaledi’s name appears on its official database as a beneficiary who has already received an RDP house.
This administrative error is at the heart of her current predicament. “They don’t give me a solution because I want my name removed on their system so that I can be able to apply for an RDP,” Selaledi explained. “Because even now when I try to reapply for an ERF or a house, I don’t succeed. So that is my challenge.”
While her housing application has stagnated, her personal circumstances have improved, placing her in a financial grey area. She no longer qualifies for a government-subsidised RDP house, yet her income is also insufficient to qualify for a traditional home loan.
The emotional and financial toll has been severe. Next year will mark three decades since her initial application. She currently rents a four-room house, a cost that causes her significant distress.
“You know how painful it is to pay R3,000 every month. Even when I count that amount per year, I’m stressed,” she said. “It’s the amount the government could have met me halfway then [I could] get a bonded house and pay it, because here I am able to pay R3,000 per month.”
The constant strain has affected her well-being. “I’m always stressed even at work. I work as a reserve on my odd job that I do. I’m full of anger when some say something out of order. I get agitated,” Selaledi shared.
In response to the situation, the Department of Human Settlements has stated that it will meet with Selaledi to assess if she qualifies for housing assistance under the Programme for First Home Finance. The department has also committed to helping her with her application as it continues its investigation into the erroneous database entry.
