BACKYARDERS from Mau May and Zwelitsha squatter camps have demanded to be allowed to occupy unfinished RDPs allocated to them.
The residents from Nyanga in Cape Town claimed the houses, which didn’t have water or electricity yet, were being sold to people from other areas.
Abongile Catsha said: “People are gatvol because there are allegations that the houses were being sold to people who aren’t beneficiaries.
“We were supposed to occupy our homes last month but now there’s no sign of when it will happen.
“Some of us have been living in shacks most of our lives. We can’t allow anyone to take away our houses.”
Red Ants and cops were on the scene on Tuesday afternoon, trying to keep order.
A resident told Daily Sun: “We are not fighting.
“We just want to occupy our houses before we lose them to people who are not on the list.
“We don’t care whether there’s no electricity or water yet.”
Councillor Luyanda Nyingwa said he spoke to the human settlements department and other officials to hand over the houses as they were.
“We don’t want to allow people to enter houses without electricity or water, but they have been gathering here since last Friday,” he said.
But he denied allegations that the houses were being sold.
“In all the meetings I have attended regarding the project, I haven’t heard of this. But people who are aware of such activities must report it to the cops,” he said.
The councillor said residents had put pressure on officials but the due date for completion of the houses was next month.
