Crowded house of crooks and cheats

One of the claims the ANC makes is that, since 1994, it has helped put roofs over the heads of hundreds of thousands of poor South Africans. One of the claims the ANC makes – and will continue to make ahead of the local government elections in November – is that, since 1994, it has helped put roofs over the heads of hundreds of thousands of poor South Africans. But, as has been the case with almost every other government project aimed at providing a supposed “better life for all”, this noble endeavour has been hijacked by crooks both within and outside the system, with the result that many indigent people have been waiting in vain for decades for houses they were promised. Almost one in three major government-funded housing projects in Gauteng have been hijacked by both illegal occupiers – let’s call them what they are, squatters – as well as by corrupt government officials illegally selling the properties to desperate people. The Gauteng department of Human Settlements has confirmed that 14 of 45 housing projects have been illegally occupied over the past five years. It made this admission in the Gauteng legislature in answer to questions, but seemed to offer little more than a shrug of helplessness. Once the illegal occupiers have moved in, it is a major job to remove them, claims the department. It adds that obtaining just one eviction order can cost around R1.5 million. When there are hundreds of people involved, the department simply does not have the money to evict people… that’s how the official argument goes. What is going on here: are sweetheart deals being done with lawyers to get the papers in order? And why can’t the Red Ant Security Relocation & Eviction Services be sent in? That latter solution is brutal – but it is effective. And why should we have any sympathy for someone who has snatched away a place from a poor person? Something is very sick in a system which allows this to happen.