Madam Deputy Speaker, this ANC government is expected to deliver on its promise of decent houses. It is, therefore, with regret that I have to stand here today to report that we have knowledge of the selling of RDP houses in Uitenhage and surrounding areas.
In many of these areas, registration and application for low-cost housing commence prior to the construction of these houses; hence, more than 80% of these houses do not have a title deed or a pre-emptive condition and a restrictive clause that prevents the sale of these houses for a period of eight years. The omission of this restrictive clause has opened the door for homeowners and unscrupulous agents to exploit this loophole and sell these houses randomly.
Houses worth R59 000 are being sold for a mere R3 000 by desperate homeowners who are then left destitute. We believe that more than 30% of the houses that were allocated to people last year have already been sold.
There is also a legal scam in that houses that are bought or built privately with low-cost housing subsidies do not have this restrictive condition and these houses are also being sold to two or three owners. We, therefore, recommend that this matter be investigated and that regulations be promulgated so as to prevent the sale of any RDP house, except with the specific authority of the government. Thank you. [Applause.]