The government subsidised houses are not for sale or profit making as they are meant to afford the deserving beneficiaries with decent shelter. The Mpumalanga MEC for Human Settlements, Mr Speed Mashilo has made this statement as the Department continues to battle with fraudsters who relentlessly scam unsuspecting housing beneficiaries. The scourge of illegal selling of government houses has adopted a new modus operandi wherein fake social media profiles and pages are created in the name of the Department and the MEC’s identity.
Addressing the citizens of Mpumalanga, Mashilo urged the public not to be quick to act on any information purporting to be from government and its officials without verifying. “I have become aware that my name has been used in fake social media pages meant to defraud people. The public ought to guide against this and not act on such posts without verifying with their municipalities and the Department”, warned Mashilo. In addition, Mashilo urged the community including all beneficiaries to refrain from selling and buying houses illegally.
To clamp down on these nefarious acts, the public’s collaboration is solicited in that should anyone become aware of an illegal sale of a government subsidised house, such must be reported to the law enforcement agencies. “I want to ask the public to report this illegal transaction to the law enforcement agencies. I am happy that we do have some matters that are already in court wherein the alleged perpetrators are prosecuted, we must intensify the efforts and our collaboration”, urged Mashilo.
To this end, the beneficiaries’ attention is drawn to the Housing Act 107 of 1997 which provides that a beneficiary of a government subsidised house cannot let the property for remuneration or sell their property if they have not owned and lived in that property for at least eight (8) years. If a person decides to rent out or sell that house before the prescribed eight-year period as prescribed by the law, they will forfeit such property and the provincial housing department shall be deemed to be the owner of such property.
ISSUED BY THE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTORATE
MPUMALANGA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
CONTACT: FREDDY NGOBE – 013 766 6014 / 082 859 4630/ flngobe@mpg.gov.za