Download Report: Thusang Morwalo Housing Event (6

REPORT: THUSANG MORWALO HOUSING EVENT 6 MAY 2016
Thusang Morwalo community advice office arranged a community workshop focused on
housing. ProBono.Org extended the invitation to the Gauteng Department of Human
Settlements, the Master of the Johannesburg High Court and the Johannesburg Deeds Office.
The event was held at the Basadi Pele Foundation, which is the same venue from where the
advice office operates. The event drew a total of 134 community members from Kagiso ext 12
and 14 and was held outside in the parking area, to accommodate the number of community
members in attendance.
The overall mood of the day was quite intense as it usually is when housing issues are to be
addressed. ProBono.Org opened the event and welcomed everyone in attendance.
The speakers each made brief presentations so as to ensure that maximum time is allowed for
community members to ask questions. Most questions where directed at the Master’s Office
regarding the issuing of letters of authority to people whom in turn use the same letters to
threaten and victimise other family members. Even though the Master’s Office explained what
the main function of the letters of authority are, there was much dissatisfaction expressed in
regard to the fact that the Master’s Office is unable to verify when issuing letters of authority
that they are issued to the correct person. We had to cut the questions and direct the
programme to the Department of Human Settlements.
It seems that there is a big issue in this community regarding RDP housing. Most community
members were asking questions relating to the long time that they had been on the waiting list
for RDP housing. There was much frustration as it seems that RDP housing is being allocated
to people who are not residing in Kagiso but coming in from other areas. There was also a lot
of concern about how some of the allocations seem to be politically motivated, in that any
person who supports opposition parties gets overlooked when houses are being allocated.
Thanks to the advice office’s pro-activeness, the MMC for housing was invited to the event
and she tried to explain some of the delays and the issue of land shortage, which is the
biggest contributor to the slow delivery of houses. She also encouraged members of the
community to consider low cost housing as a means to speedily access subsidised housing
but this was met with much discontent as unemployment is rife in this area and most residents
are dependent on full state social assistance.
Many of the community were thankful to be part of the workshop mainly because they felt that
this workshop brought together many of their areas of concern into one space and even
though there was no finality in the matter, they at least know where to go to have their
grievances heard. At the end of the day all they want is to be heard together as a community.
They will now be in a position to talk about how to tackle their challenges together.