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FUNEKA Awu (33) claims that her RDP house was sold to someone she does not know.
She said she has been staying in the 3649 RDP house in Shayamoya since 2003 with her two sons, a daughter and her husband, although her husband moved away in 2010.
To overcome life’s difficulties after her husband moved out, she looked for work around Kokstad to feed her family and cover education costs for her children. She earns R1 000 from her domestic work every week.
“In September last year I saw a man cutting grass in the yard and the man informed me that the house had been sold to him. The man also wanted me and my children to depart from the house,” she said.
She informed the Fever that Greater Kokstad Municipality was alerted about the illegal trade of the house but was that she not helped.
“I asked the municipality to stop the illegal trade of the house, but I was told to get a lawyer to help me. I do not have enough money to hire lawyers to act against the trading of my house,” she said, adding that the man who told her about buying her house had threatened her family.
She said she even saw a letter from Greater Kokstad Municipality with the name of the buyer on it and not hers.
“Last month, the man kicked the door down while I was sleeping with the children and we had to move to the neighbour’s house for our safety,” she added.
She asked the community for help of any kind in getting her house back, saying: “I don’t want my children to live under bridges or on the streets of Kokstad because of selfish people and corrupt people. How can someone buy a house without the knowledge of the occupants?” she asked with tears in her eyes.
On July 27, a media query was sent to the municipality about the legitimate owner of the house and allegations of illegal trading of the house but no response was received prior to publication. Legal professional Matebe Zwelethemba of Khaya Nondabula Attorneys from Kokstad said the house of a married couple cannot be sold without the agreement of the occupants.
He asked the woman to visit their offices for assistance.
