MAKHI owns our home is the cry of the Mofulwane family in Diepkloof zone 1, Soweto.
Gogo Josephine Mofulwane (68) told Daily Sun they realised all wasn’t right when they stopped getting tax invoices.
They enquired at the housing department and were told the invoice was sent to the house owner. “They told us who the house belonged to and it was our neighbour. She acted confused when we approached her,” said Josephine.
She said the neighbour later told them she bought the house from her late sister.
“There was no way she bought the house from my sister because it’s a family house. We all had to sign for her to buy it. She probably saw the house was going to be left alone when my sister, who lived here, died. She forged the papers, not knowing we’re still here.”
Josephine’s daughter, Portia, (41) said their house was not the first to be targeted by this makhi.
“Two other neighbour’s houses are registered under her name. I think she thinks she will score big when they die.”
Neighbour gogo Winnie Kepasi (93) said: “Yes, my house is also registered under the neighbour’s name. I won’t let her take it.”
The SunTeam could not find the third neighbour, who was said to be critically ill.
But the accused neighbour said she didn’t take anyone’s house.
“I have my own house. What will I do with someone else’s house? These houses are rotten. Where will I get money to fix them?”
She said there was a mix-up at the department. “They didn’t register people’s houses correctly. Another neighbour’s house is registered under another neighbour’s name. It’s not me only.”
Joburg housing’s Neo Goba said they were aware of the incorrect registration of title deeds in Diepkloof and the rest of Soweto.
“The error occurs when identifying old residential addresses to the new erf number shown on the approved general plan for the township. In other cases, you find a semi-detached property owned by two families is erroneously transferred to one family. We are rectifying those title deeds.”
He urged residents with wrong title deeds to visit their offices to rectify it.
