Premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae met with the residents of R Section, Botshabelo after a group of residents requested her attention on a pressing issue. The meeting was hosted outside the community hall in W section on the second day of Integrated Government Services.
The residents of the R Section, Botshabelo expressed their frustrations and concerns with respect to their homes and sites. According to the information shared by the residents, they bought houses and sites from certain individuals, without verifying who the rightful owners of the said properties are.
After this business transaction, some residents are facing the possibility of being evicted from their homes and lands by the rightful owners. Further information shared by residents suggests that they have already paid money to untrustworthy people for the sale of houses / sites.
“We are unfortunately faced with a situation where people paid money to some shady characters for sites and also houses. The problem is that those who bought these homes and sites did not verify who the owners of the properties are. They then find themselves staying in houses without title deeds. At the same time, people whose names appear in the title deed want them out. Our people must never be duped into buying government RDP houses or sites,” said Premier Letsoha-Mathae to loud murmurs of agreement to residents.
The Premier of Free State has informed the residents affected by this that she is working with law enforcement agencies and Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality. She assured the people that the residents will be given an opportunity to write affidavits detailing when they bought the houses/sites, when the transaction took place and from whom did they make the purchase.
The Premier’s next actions are aimed toward arresting the criminals who exploited the people. People have told the Premier during the meeting about individuals who own multiple sites. On the other hand, there are people who desperately need those sites. In addition to that, those same individuals sell sites to the people in the second catagory, leaving both the government as well as the victims with a serious problem,” said the Premier.
Several government departments including the Home Affairs and Human Settlements as well as South African Revenue Services and other government entities were also in attendance at the meeting. The representatives from all the organizations provided services to residents of Botshabelo during the second day of the Integrated Government Services In W Section In Botshabelo.