The MEC of Cooperative Governance and Human Settlements, Mxolisi Dukwana, (flanked by the police and other security officers) carried out a sting operation to determine the authenticity of occupants at 15 carefully selected houses.

It is suspected that corrupt officials from the Department are allegedly colluding with municipal officials to manipulate the Hillside View housing beneficiary list.

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According to departmental spokesperson, Sello Dithebe, two cases have already been handed over to the Free State Hawks, with supporting evidence linking certain officials, and arrests expected to be made soon.

The officials are also said to have collected rent illegally from people who are not even beneficiaries

“In one or two other instances already, the matter is with the Hawks and with us handing in evidence over to the police, we should expect an arrest to be made soon but that is the matter for the police because our criminal justice system is one in which evidence beyond a reasonable doubt is used in order to determine if the suspect is guilty or not,” Dithebe adds.

OFM News previously reported that Human Settlements minister, Mmamoloko Kubayi, embarked on a visit to the Free State in September 2021, to assess housing delivery over the past few years. One of the areas Kubayi visited, was Hillside View, which is an Integrated Development Project, comprising social housing, fully subsidised, military veterans’ units, a Finance-linked Individual Subsidy Programme (FLISP), and fully bonded housing units. Some of the intended beneficiaries, who are former members of the ANC's Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA), accused the department of leaving them off the list whilst they continue to live in poor conditions. Others had raised concerns about the structure of the houses.

“More verifications will follow and in the event of those occupants being found to have benefitted fraudulently, the law will take its course and the rightful beneficiaries will be allotted those houses,” Dithebe adds.

OFM News