Incomplete RDP houses in Nyanga become havens for criminals

Residents of Freedom Square and Zwelitsha in Nyanga have expressed concerns about the incomplete RDP houses, which have become hideouts for criminals.

The buildings have been unoccupied since 2010 and are said to be used by criminals who conduct robberies on passers-by and locals.

Neighbours who have fallen victims to the crimes have expressed frustration about the situation.

A visit to an incomplete building in Freedom Square and Mau Mau, along Govan Mbeki Road, revealed that the houses have become a haven for criminal activities.

Houses in Freedom Square are surrounded by heaps of dirt, napkins, broken bottles, and the stench of faeces.

A victim of the crime who asked not to be named for fear of harassment said: “I am a victim of crime here. I was robbed of my belongings including my mobile phone. The only thing I can tell you, things are happening here. I am not the only one. It is just that people are scared to talk. You can understand why they would not talk. But we are really living in fear here. You cannot just pass these broken walls."

Another neighbour said that they have stopped going out when they hear a screams.

She said screams are often heard at night from the building.

“People are robbed at gunpoint or knife. We also close ourselves inside our houses when we hear that something wrong is happening. We are scared of our lives too,” she said.

About a kilometre away, another RDP housing project in Mau Mau on Govan Mbeki, which started three years ago, is also unfinished. Residents said thousands of families were supposed to benefit.

Some people moved in illegally after seeing no progress. In both projects, finished units have been vandalised, and most do not have roofs.

Ward councillor Sandile Martins said people were promised they would move into the RDP houses some time ago.

“Those houses in Gompo and Freedom Square add to crime,” he said, adding that the City of Cape Town is talking to residents, including Mkonto and Mpetha, about the Freedom Square houses.

"There are workshops on how to finish them, but I do not know when. The City is slow. Those houses have been there since 2010. I am confused,” he said.

Community Policing Forum (CPF) secretary Dumisani Qwebe said it appears that the city is at the mercy of the criminals who are terrorising residents.

Mr Qwebe said they have tried to meet up with all the government departments trying to solve the problem of these houses.

“We even took them to the KTC clinics showing them all the troubling areas. We did a walk about telling them that it is dangerous to have such incomplete houses. We told the city that school children are raped in there. At some point we found a car dumped there. We also found a cow slaughtered there. The city is aware of all the happenings there. It is a pity that the City is not coming to party, maybe because of their infights,” he said.

Mr Qwebe said they are not sitting back but are still talking to the government. He said the CPF has also met with police and other groups to help deal with crime in Nyanga.

The City said it is doing all it can to provide housing opportunities to those who need it most and the City’s teams remain dedicated to completing the Gugulethu infill housing project for the beneficiaries and their families.

It said the Gugulethu project is progressing according to schedule.

“The City has now completely taken over the project, which will mean more rapid progress to completion. This is made up of units at the Gugulethu Erf 8448 site and at the Erf 2849 site in Mau Mau (Nyanga). It will be completed as soon as possible, with the target of completing all outstanding work by mid-2026 under the Contractor's current contract."

It added that the Nyanga project has experienced a number of challenges, including issues with the contractor, Covid-19-related delays, extortion attempts, the unlawful occupation of partially completed units at the Mau Mau site portion of the project and vandalism to work already completed.