housing

The Department of Human Settlements has promised to allocate housing to military veterans in KwaZulu-Natal. Photograph: Kopano Tlape GCIS

Social housing for SA military veterans to be top priority

The government is planning to provide social housing for military veterans to prevent them from taking the law into their own hands.

housing

The Department of Human Settlements has promised to allocate housing to military veterans in KwaZulu-Natal. Photograph: Kopano Tlape GCIS

Minister of Human Settlements, Mmamoloko Kubayi and MEC of Human Settlements and Public Works, Jomo Sibiya have announced that the delivery of houses for military veterans in KwaZulu- Natal will be prioritised over the next few months. 

The department said in a statement that the announcement was aimed at responding to the military veterans housing backlog, which has led to some members illegally occupying the Aloe Ridge social housing project in Pietermaritzburg.

Kubayi visited KwaZulu-Natal recently to meet affected stakeholders at the Aloe Ridge housing development with the intention of finding a lasting solution to avert the eviction of military veterans and other poor people at one of the biggest social housing projects in the country.

“Whilst we have a duty to look after those who qualify for fully subsidised government houses we cannot promote illegal occupation of private properties, anarchy and lawlessness. This affects service delivery and has no place in a democratic government. We don’t want eviction that will lead to bloodshed or loss of life,” Kubayi said.

Kubayi took a dim view at some public servants who have taken advantage of the plight of the military veterans by allocating themselves units at the Aloe Ridge development.

“We have taken a decision that those public servants must either sign lease agreements or vacate and handover the keys to the social housing institution within seven days,” Kubayi said.

Social housing to be allocated to military veterans

Other decisions taken and agreed upon with the military veterans included:

  • The Department of Human Settlements will take care of indigent and military veterans including those who are yet to be confirmed by the Department of Military Veterans
  • The construction of houses will be accelerated within the next 18 months, ensuring that every new housing project has a percentage allocated to military veterans;
  • Evictions will be seized and court orders will not be enforced while measures are being put in place to find a permanent solution.

Kubayi also acknowledged that the government needs to work hard to avoid a situation where military veterans take the law into their own hands.

“We are a constitutional democracy based on a rule of law. We remain committed to increasing the pace of housing delivery for all including military veterans,’ Kubayi said.