Showdown looming as housing wrangle hots up

A WAR is brewing between residents from neighbouring townships Zwelitsha and Phakamisa amid claims of tampering with housing beneficiary lists.

This relates to the proposed housing development in Phakamisa South, an area which falls under Buffalo City Metro (BCM) ward 25.

The ward initially encompassed only Phakamisa, but after the 2011 demarcations, Zwelitsha’s Zone 8 and 9 and nearby Cliff Village, were incorporated.

The Phakamisa group claims they are rightful beneficiaries of the yetto-be-built houses, while they accuse ward councillor Cynthia MxabanisiGakrishe of altering the list to add people from Zwelitsha.

A master list in possession of former BCM councillor and Phakamisa community leader Crosby Kolela, which has been compiled since 1996, shows there were initially 745 beneficiaries in Phakamisa earmarked for housing benefit.

This later increased to 950. The Dispatch has seen a copy of the list but not of the allegedly altered list.

It is alleged that a second list, said to be in possession of MxabanisiGakrishe, has more than 200 different names. The allegation has been denied by the councillor.

However, there are fears of a looming showdown between the two clashing communities, with one community leader warning it could become “messy”.

According to Kolela, the provincial housing department in 2010-11 financial year informed the community that they had 950 sites available, and that they needed to amend their approved list of 745 to add 205 more beneficiaries.

“We were shocked to later discover that current councillor [Mxabanisi-Gakrishe] changed it without proper consultation and had included 205 beneficiaries of her choice,” said Kolela.

Mxabanisi-Gakrishe dismissed allegations she altered the list.

“The ward has grown to include other areas and when I got into office in 2011 I enquired about the project, and was told by the department to register 205 more people to the 745 list as there were 950 sites.

“That development is not meant for only Phakamisa but for ward 25, which now includes these areas.”

She said the project was now “at a tendering stage” and that in October, a successful contractor would be introduced to the community.

Human Settlement spokesman Lwandile Sicwetsha yesterday said the project was blocked and later unblocked, adding the department was currently busy verifying the 745 listed beneficiaries before the 205 beneficiaries could be processed and approved. —