BY: Vuyo Cebekhulu
The community of Malibongwe Ridge in Itsoseng ward has been dealing with corruption and fraud related to housing. The Combat Movement organized a march on March 22, 2024, Friday, gathering at 8:30 am near the taxi rank, opposite the multipurpose center.
Residents are facing challenges with corruption in Malibongwe Ridge and Cosmo City. Issues include houses being invaded, sold, irregular allocation of houses and flats, and fighting against queue jumping.
Housing fraud involves unlawfully paying money or offering benefits to housing officials in exchange for RDP houses, service stands, or rented council property. This also includes queue jumping to receive benefits unlawfully, forgery of signatures, impersonation, and unlawful occupation of RDP houses.
Enos Maake, a leader of The Combat Movement, expressed concern about the corruption in Malibongwe Ridge, stating, “It must stop. Human settlement must internally initiate investigations against the officials involved in bogus allocation committee.”
Maake continued, “Those who bought the units must be removed and charged for collaborating with criminals. We want the SIU to investigate a serious organized crime syndicate dislodging people, particularly the elderly, from a possible security of tenure, a legacy which they can leave for generations to come. Yes, we want law enforcement to intervene.”
The Combat Movement is a protest and civic movement addressing service delivery and lawlessness, particularly in Cosmo City/Itsoseng ward. They have applied for a peaceful protest with section 4 at JMPD to protest against current irregular allocations at Malibongwe Ridge Phase 2 housing project and alleged selling of units that deprive rights of those who applied since 1996.
Residents are united in fighting against queue jumping and rampant corruption. “It will be a great honor to have the MMC receive the concerns from the residents of ward 100 Cosmo City, particularly the people of Malibongwe Ridge,” said Maake.
Kgabi Meso also shared, “The house that was meant to be mine is now occupied by a Zimbabwean sangoma lady who says she bought it from housing officials from Johannesburg.”
