THE human settlements department has launched a housing consumer education programme.
The launch was held at Steve Tshwete Municipality in Middelburg, Mpumalanga on Monday.
Abe Kekana, the programme head, said the aim of the programme was to ensure that housing beneficiaries were aware of their rights and responsibilities.
“The department has a mandate to provide shelter to the needy. But it becomes a challenge when beneficiaries sell their houses or rent them out due to lack of knowledge. The programme has the ability to protect beneficiaries against any form of criminality from people seeking to negatively impose on their housing rights.
“The department condemns the selling of houses by beneficiaries. Instead, they should transfer ownership to their next of kin.
Thoko Mathebula from the department said they also wanted to teach people about the variance subsidy.
“The variance subsidy applies when a beneficiary has received a house but years later he or she becomes disabled.
“In this case, the government has the responsibility to extend the house with facilities that are suitable for the condition of the beneficiary.”
