This after residents alleged that the allocation of housing beneficiaries in that area is irregular, and the DA councillor in the area, Solly Magalefa, has now escalated the matter to the Office of the Public Protector, Busisiwe Mkhwebane.

Magalefa says the party was informed by residents that the Mayor, Andries Monageng, allocated houses to his supporters rather than the poor who require decent housing. Meanwhile, the municipal spokesperson, Abel Malebye, has lambasted the allegations against the mayor and the municipality. He calls on those alleging irregularities to provide proof of any wrongdoing.

He says the municipality has an open-door policy and is open to everyone who wants clarity. He says running to chapter nine institutions like the Public Protector’s Office is premature. He adds that three weeks ago, there was a concern raised by residents in one of the villages. The municipal officials then visited the area but the mayor was hackled when he tried to clarify some of the concerns of the residents. Malebye says chaos then broke out but the Public Order Policing (POP) quickly intervened and salvaged the situation.

Meanwhile, the DA Councillor Magalefa says residents also claim that those who will benefit irregularly are politically aligned to the mayor and are beneficiaries of the Community Workers Programme (CWP). “Community members complain that there is never any consultation from the municipality on issues of service delivery. Information is communicated via SMS and it only goes out to a few people,” he adds.

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