KNYSNA NEWS - It appears that the occupation of municipal temporary residential units (TRUs) is a matter that will not be solved easily.
In the wake of recent protests about residents waiting for years to receive the permanent housing they qualify for, the issue of the re-use of TRUs after the rightful occupants have evacuated them, has also arisen.
Occupied by other people
Residents in areas such as Nekkies and Hlalani say not all the TRUs are occupied by their rightful owners, but some are occupied by other people who are renting them from the rightful beneficiaries, many of whom are foreign nationals.
A resident from Nekkies says TRUs should solely be for the people who are still waiting for RDP houses and not for renting out.
"When the rightful owners are allocated RDP houses, the municipality doesn't demolish the TRUs. Then that is where people get the opportunity to make business and rent them to others."
"There are even foreign nationals who have TRUs, but when you ask them you don't get a proper response of how they got them. If you ask them how they get the TRUs, they will tell you that even the ward councillor knows that they are staying there. Honestly speaking, foreign nationals are staying in TRUs here, which is the municipality's property."
According to Knysna Municipality, it is not as simple as removing the illegal occupants. While legal eviction is an option, it requires alternative accommodation, which is costly and complex.
In some areas, non-beneficiaries occupy these TRUs, and they cannot be removed until serviced sites or land becomes available. In rare cases, forced removals have occurred, but the municipality does not support this due to human rights concerns.
According to municipal spokesperson Christopher Bezuidenhout, the municipality is legally permitted to demolish TRUs once the approved beneficiary has been relocated to a completed RDP house.
"However, several housing top structures in these areas remain incomplete, which means TRUs are still in place to temporarily accommodate residents until housing delivery is finalised," he says.
"In newer developments such as Khayale-thu, beneficiaries are informed from the outset that TRUs must be returned upon relocation to permanent housing.
"They are also required to sign formal agreements acknowledging this condition. This approach has seen positive results and is being adopted in future projects."
The municipality is actively involved in housing efforts in areas such as Greenfields and Hlalani.
‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’
