Durban - The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Human Settlements has said it is concerned about individuals turning large profits by “illegally” selling their government houses.
It said beneficiaries of government homes should return them to government if they were no longer needed, rather than selling them.
Several social media sites have posts advertising government houses that were given to unemployed people or those earning below a certain threshold.
The sales come as municipalities are beset with a growing backlog in housing lists and widespread allegations of legitimate beneficiaries being cheated out of their houses.
The department said beneficiaries should consider the investment made by the government in the properties before discarding them.
A fairly new government house built under the Vulindlela housing scheme in Sweetwaters, Pietermaritzburg, was advertised for sale on social media for R60 000 recently, to the department’s outrage.
Several houses in the Cornubia development near the Gateway shopping centre in Durban have also been advertised for sale on Facebook.
Department of Human Settlements spokesperson Mbulelo Baloyi said: “It takes about seven years to get a title deed of the property... Before then we can stop the sale of the house, because that owner does not have a title deed, but once the person has the title deed, it is now their house and it becomes impossible to stop the sale.”