A battle over an RDP house in Bethal, Mpumalanga is likely to end up in court. That’s because it’s built on 61-year-old Solomon Mahlangu’s land but the structure has been allocated to someone else.
Mahlangu has the title deed for the land and has thus far been unsuccessful in his bid for an RDP house.
The Govan Mbeki municipality has been unable to resolve the matter since 2015. The dwelling has been given to Gladys Khumalo.
“We want the municipality to give him his house and do what is right. This is not right, ” says Solomon Maghlangu’s relative, Sifiso Mphuthi.
Gladys Khumalo is equally adamant that the RDP house belongs to her: “I applied for this house but Mahlangu got the title deed. My aunt left this place for my mom, who in turn left it for me.”
After SABC News inquired about this debacle, the Municipality stepped in. But two years down the line, the matter has yet to be sorted out.
‘We have been working on the matter but facing resistance from the elderly. The title deed is his but the house is Khumalo’s so we are in the process of deregistering Mahlangu so that he can get a new house. But we need him to cooperate with us on this,’ says Goven Mbeki Municipality’s spokesperson.
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