Bogus estate agents on the prowl

A man suspected to be selling houses illigally in Soweto was arrested after a case was opened against him at Orlando Police station.821 Picture: Matthews Baloyi 2015/04/07

A man suspected to be selling houses illigally in Soweto was arrested after a case was opened against him at Orlando Police station.821 Picture: Matthews Baloyi 2015/04/07

Published Apr 13, 2015

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Johannesburg - Alfred Mkhize is fighting tooth and nail to save the house his parents left him from being sold by an alleged bogus estate agent.

Last week, he walked into the Diepkloof police station with all his documents.

When it was his turn to be served, he walked up to the officer in charge and told him that he wanted to stop a man from stealing his family home.

A young man had recently come to his Diepkloof house, claiming that he had bought the property from a man known only as “Mr Mabunda”.

As proof that he had bought the house, he presented the title deed, which was in his name.

Mkhize, who has lived in the house since he was a boy, said he had first learnt in 2012 that the house had been sold for R480 000 when a couple arrived at his house saying they had bought it from a Mr Mabunda.

He did not take the claims seriously until they refused to let the matter rest.

Since then, the unemployed Mkhize has been knocking on many doors for help.

In desperation, he approached the City of Johannesburg about his ordeal and was advised to find a lawyer. He then approached Legal Aid South Africa because he could not afford a lawyer. It instructed a Bedfordview law firm to handle the change of the title deed details on his behalf.

“I grew up here. Where do I go? I never knew about these things called title deeds until these people came here to claim the home.

“Growing up, I knew that this was my home; this whole story confuses me,” said Mkhize, who shares the house with his sister and her two children.

While Mabunda’s whereabouts are unknown, another alleged estate agent is being investigated for fraud after infuriated residents dragged a man they suspected of being involved in scamming the community to the Orlando police station.

The 47-year old suspect has been arrested and is due to appear in court soon.

Captain Nomvula Mbense, of the Orlando police station, confirmed that the police were investigating a case of fraud.

ANC ward 30 branch chairman Teboho Mongoya, who accompanied residents to the police station, said he had received numerous complaints about a man who sold people’s houses fraudulently.

“There was a guy who bought a house for about R200 000 here in Orlando and when he was supposed to occupy the house after making the necessary payments, he found that the house’s rightful owners already live there,” said Mongoya. “He had a title deed in his name. How that happened we don’t know, but these people are well organised.”

He said scammers targeted houses where owners had died, and those occupied by the elderly, the disabled or child-headed homes.

Mbense could not confirm whether the suspect was linked to other cases. “I cannot confirm anything as investigations are still ongoing,” he said.

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The Star

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