A community in Westonaria is demanding urgent action from provincial authorities, alleging that over 200 government-subsidized homes meant for long-standing beneficiaries have been illegally occupied and are being sold for profit.
The dispute centers on the Westonaria Borwa Mega Project, where frustrated residents claim the illegal occupation has denied rightful applicants their homes, with some having been on the waiting list since 1996. They assert that the occupied Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) houses are being sold for approximately R40,000 each.
A community representative expressed deep frustration over the lengthy delays in resolving the issue. “We are frustrated that this case takes very long because most of our elderly people, children, orphans, people with disability… including those able men and women who were supposed to be allocated that day when the illegal occupation was happening, even today they are not yet allocated,” the representative said.
The situation has escalated into a legal battle. In response to the allegations, Gauteng MEC for Human Settlements, Tasneem Motara, confirmed the illegal occupation of houses at the Westonaria Borwa development.
“An eviction order was successfully obtained. However, the occupiers appealed the decision and the department is currently awaiting the outcome of that appeal,” said MEC Motara.
Motara was clear that the occupiers have no legal right to the properties, stating, “It is important to stress that illegal occupiers do not hold title deeds and therefore have no legal instrument to sell those houses.”
She added that in the past two financial years, the department has not experienced new cases of illegal occupation, citing efforts to mitigate risks through strengthened site security and closer work with law enforcement. The department also aims to conclude allocation processes immediately upon the completion of housing units.
Despite these measures, the provincial government is currently unable to allocate the unoccupied units in the project until the legal process is concluded and a final eviction order is granted, leaving hundreds of hopeful beneficiaries in continued limbo.
