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ActionSA welcomes the decision by the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements to evict unlawful occupants from government-funded housing. This reaffirms the principle that public housing must be allocated to South African citizens and in compliance with legislation.

The Department’s decision to enforce the law supports ActionSA’s Zandile Dabula call to residents to play their part in ending corruption on housing allocations. 

Last week, the party launched a hotline for residents to report foreign nationals who are illegally occupying RDP houses. Our communities are riddled with foreign nationals who occupy government housing, with some renting these units to South Africans.

Our position is that illegal occupation of government housing undermines law and order, by affording public benefit to individuals who have not followed due process. ActionSA is determined to support communities and assist them.

Housing allocations have been compromised for years, with families that have been waiting for years on official housing lists. This has marginalised South Africans from the constitutional right to adequate housing and the dignity of a place to call home. The rule of law cannot be selectively applied, and unlawful occupation should never be rewarded at the expense of law-abiding citizens.

ActionSA has consistently maintained that government resources must be protected from abuse and that housing allocation processes must be transparent, accountable, and free from corruption and political interference. 

The broader housing crisis requires more than enforcement alone. Government must accelerate the delivery of quality housing, eliminate backlogs, tackle housing allocation fraud, and maintain an accurate, transparent beneficiary database to ensure that housing reaches those who need it most.

ActionSA remains committed to building a South Africa where the rule of law is upheld, public resources are protected, and every qualifying citizen has a fair opportunity to access government housing.

Issued by ActionSA Joburg MMC Candidate for Human Settlements Zandile Dabula