Redcliff Town Council has refused to give its Torwood houses to sitting tenants in defiance of a government directive.
BY BLESSED MHLANGA
The Local Government ministry in April instructed all local authorities to immediately transfer ownership of all council rented properties to tenants who have leased the houses for 20 years.
Councils were directed to “facilitate issuance of title deeds to genuine and deserving tenants who have rented council accommodation for a period of more than 20 years”.
However, Redcliff mayor Freddy Kapuya told a full council meeting on Tuesday that while the directive had not yet been discussed by council, the municipality was not ready to let the houses go.
“Remember we borrowed half a million dollars from the same ministry to upgrade those substandard houses on the understanding that we will pay back the money after selling the homes,” he said.
“So giving title to tenants will leave us with a financial hole.”
Finance committee chairperson Clayton Masiyatsva accused council management of hiding government directives from councillors including the one which involved transferring the houses to sitting tenants.
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“We heard that this directive is here. These matters are being discussed in the corridors, but have not been brought to us,” he said.
“It appears that this council is run in corridors and this should be stopped. When directives come they should be brought to the attention of the house.”
The directive has divided Redcliff with MDC -T councillors supporting the initiative to release its 820 housing units in Torwood to mostly Ziscosteel workers who have gone for five years without pay.
But Kapuya whose company Wackdrive properties won the tender to rehabilitate the houses was reportedly pushing for the houses to be sold on the open market.
