Khayelitsha residents voice fears over evictions and housing fraud
Ilitha Park resident Elizabeth Kasba struggled to hold back tears as she expressed her anger, frustration and pain after discovering through municipal records that her home had been transferred to another person without her knowledge.
Image: siyavuya khaya
Tears, anger, and frustration filled the VPUU Hall in Harare, Khayelitsha, last Thursday, as residents voiced their concerns to Deputy Minister of Human Settlements, Tandi Mahambehlala, over evictions, delayed title deeds, and alleged housing fraud.
The three-hour public engagement heard emotional testimonies, with many elderly residents saying they fear losing homes they have lived in for decades.
The hall was packed to capacity as community members described what they believe are illegal evictions, duplication of title deeds, and bogus housing agencies allegedly selling homes without owners’ knowledge.
Some said they had discovered through municipal records that their properties had been transferred without their consent. Others claimed their allocated plots had been unlawfully occupied, while government systems reflected that they had already received houses.
Addressing the tense gathering, Mahambehlala said her department had begun scrutinising eviction notices brought forward by residents.
“As a department, we have already started looking at those eviction notices. We will engage the banks and these agencies, which are allegedly at the centre of these evictions,” she said.
Deputy minister of Human Settlements Tandi Mahambehlala engages Khayelitsha residents during a public meeting at VPUU Hall, where evictions, title deed delays and housing fraud allegations were raised.
Image: siyavuya khaya
She emphasised that evictions must comply with the Constitution.
“If a court grants an eviction order, the Constitution compels that an alternative shelter must be provided for the evictee. People cannot simply be thrown onto the streets,” she said.
Several residents alleged that syndicates were operating in Khayelitsha, facilitating questionable sales and evictions. Others said they had been allocated plots more than 20 years ago but were still struggling to obtain title deeds.
She said the meeting followed engagements between the department and the Khayelitsha Housing Crisis Committee to help residents understand government structures and where to direct complaints. She urged residents to report alleged misconduct by property agencies to the Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority (PPRA), which regulates estate agencies.
“There are legal interventions underway so that we can get to the bottom of these issues,” she said.
However, she cautioned that the government could not legitimise unlawful occupation.
“As a government, we cannot promote lawlessness. We cannot give people title deeds for stands they invaded,” she said.
“If a stand was allocated to someone else, that rightful person holds the title deed, and another person occupying it is doing so unlawfully.”
She added that the department, together with the Housing Development Agency (HDA), was working to resolve cases where rightful title deed holders had been displaced.
Among the most emotional testimonies was that of 78-year-old Ilitha Park resident Elizabeth Kasba. Fighting back tears, she said her fully paid house had allegedly been fraudulently transferred without her knowledge.
“When my husband passed away, I went to the municipal offices to pay the water rates. That is when I was told the house no longer belonged to us,” she said.
“I was threatened by unknown agencies to leave, but I told them I will only leave my house when I am dead.”
Kasba said she fears her children will lose the family home after her death. “I live in fear of losing the only legacy we created,” she said.
Khayelitsha Housing Crisis Committee chairperson Kholekile Mwahla said the battle against evictions was ongoing.