The City of Cape Town says residents do not need to pay for a housing opportunity to be placed on its Housing Needs Register, or for property transfer services.
Beneficiaries who are asked to pay in these instances are being scammed by individuals or “shack-farming” syndicates, said the City’s Mayco member for human settlements, councillor Malusi Booi.
“If you are asked to pay to register on the City’s Housing Needs Register, to pay for a government housing Breaking New Ground [BNG] opportunity or a plot of City-owned land, or to pay for property transfer services to any individual except a conveyancer, you are being scammed,” said Booi.
“These types of cases often affect the most desperate residents. body copy_bold: “If you think that you might have been the victim of a housing scam, please report it to the South African Police Service for investigation.
“We have recently been made aware of a number of these cases across the metro and we encourage our residents and beneficiaries to also contact the City should they suspect this to be the case.
“Qualifying beneficiaries are registered on the Housing Needs Register at no cost to them.
“The register, which is protected, updated and audited, is necessary to prevent queue-jumping,” he added.
Update your details on the Housing Needs Register: https://web1.capetown.gov.za/web1/HWL2012Online/
Residents can piemp scammers by calling 112 from a cell phone (toll free) and 107 from a landline or 021 480 7700 for emergencies.
dailyvoice@inl.co.za