Undocumented immigrants and criminal organisations have illegally occupied more than 13 000 buildings in KwaZulu-Natal.
The startling disclosures came to light during an oversight visit in eThekwini’s Point area by provincial public works and infrastructure MEC Martin Meyer and senior department and legislative officials.
The province’s sole metro serves as the epicentre for the phenomenon whereby criminal organisations, including undocumented foreign nationals, take over buildings and illegitimately rent them to unsuspecting tenants.
Some are low-income workers looking for cheap housing, and others are students.
“Some of the buildings are owned by the government and some by private owners such as Spoornet and others, and they were abandoned,” said Meyer.
“We also have buildings for which we cannot trace their owners. Our plan is to repurpose them for social housing and some for student accommodation.”
He clarified that the department had a deal in place with eThekwini whereby government-owned buildings are being given to the metro at no cost.
Rent-to-own scheme
“There are buildings that are occupied, and the metro will work out a relocation plan,” he said.
“They will then be refurbished and turned into social housing for the rent-to-own scheme targeting mainly people in the low-income bracket.”
Meyer noted that since then, the department has launched a trace and find programme to find the rogue elements that are obtaining rent from the hijacked buildings illegally.
Meyer has made it his mission since taking on the portfolio to make sure that every asset that belongs to his department is in order.
He has already made audacious claims concerning other government residences in Ulundi, northern KZN, the site of the former provincial legislature seat.
During the IFP’s leadership of the province, MPLs (members of the provincial legislature) and other government officials resided in the more than 600 homes.
However, after the ANC moved the provincial parliament to Pietermaritzburg, the family homes remained empty and were taken over by people who do not pay rates or rent.
