ActionSA has called for an independent investigation into housing allocations in Emakhazeni after residents allegedly discovered discrepancies between their experiences and records held by the provincial Department of Human Settlements.
The party says several residents who have waited years for government-subsidised housing have reported that their applications were rejected or remained on waiting lists, while checks conducted by ActionSA with Provincial Human Settlements indicated that some applications had been approved.
Daniel Foyoyo Maseko, ActionSA’s Emakhazeni mayoral candidate, said the discrepancies required an explanation from the authorities.
“There must be an explanation for these discrepancies,” Maseko said.
One of the cases raised by ActionSA involves Mapule Nkele, a single mother who says she had been waiting for a home for almost 20 years.
According to documentation cited by ActionSA, a subsidised house had been allocated in Nkele’s name. The party says, however, that the property was occupied by another person, who later demolished the original structure and began constructing a larger house on the site.
Nkele was meanwhile living in difficult circumstances with her children and eventually sought legal assistance. ActionSA said she spent about R32,000 on an attorney in an effort to secure the home she had been waiting for.
Following ActionSA’s intervention with the relevant authorities, Nkele was eventually allocated another house.
Maseko said the fact that Nkele ultimately received a home did not resolve the questions surrounding the original allocation.
“We welcome the fact that Ms Nkele now has a home. But this does not close the matter. It raises an even bigger question: how does an RDP house allocated to one beneficiary end up in the hands of someone else?” he said.
ActionSA also cited the case of an elderly woman who was living in a shack without water, electricity or a toilet.
The party said it approached Provincial Human Settlements to establish the status of her housing application and was informed that the application had been approved. The woman, however, reportedly said she had repeatedly approached housing authorities in Emakhazeni and had been told that her house had not been approved.
Maseko said the discrepancy was particularly troubling given the woman’s living conditions.
“How can an elderly person be living in a shack without basic services while provincial housing records indicate that her application was approved?” he said. “That is a question the responsible authorities must answer.”
ActionSA has called on the Mpumalanga MEC responsible for Human Settlements to urgently commission an independent investigation and comprehensive audit of housing allocations in Emakhazeni.
The party wants the investigation to determine how many approved beneficiaries are occupying their allocated homes, whether beneficiaries have been removed or replaced on the housing system, who authorised any such changes, and whether houses have been occupied or allocated outside the prescribed process.
ActionSA has also called on the Hawks, the South African Police Service, the Public Protector and the Special Investigating Unit to assess the allegations and investigate any possible criminality or maladministration within their respective mandates.
Maseko said the party would hold a public meeting in Siyathuthuka on Sunday, 11 October 2026, where affected residents would be able to present their experiences and supporting documents.
The MEC responsible for Human Settlements and representatives of the relevant housing authorities have been invited to attend the meeting, ActionSA said.
“For years, residents have been told to wait. Some have remained in shacks, some have grown old waiting for a home, and others have watched people occupy properties they believe were allocated to them,” Maseko said.
He said ActionSA was demanding transparency and accountability and wanted the housing records and allocation processes independently examined.
“The people of Emakhazeni have waited long enough for answers,” Maseko said.