Cape Town - A housing scam is doing the rounds in Cape Town and the City urges residents not to fall prey to it.
According to the mayoral committee member for human settlements, Councillor Malusi Booi, a number of cases have been reported across the Cape metropole.
The City said it wishes to remind residents that they do not need to pay for a housing opportunity to be placed on the Housing Needs Register or for property transfer services.
Booi said housing beneficiaries who are asked to pay in these instances are being scammed by individuals or ‘shack-farming’ syndicates.
“‘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. These types of cases often affect the most desperate residents,” Booi said.
He has urged residents who think they may have fallen victim to this housing scam to report the incident at their nearest police station.
“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.
“This is especially important, given the very acute need for housing opportunities across the metro,” Booi said.
He has further urged residents to come forward and give anonymous tip-offs if they are aware of any illegal activity.
“Residents can give anonymous tip offs if they are aware of illegal activity that is taking place; that has happened or is still to happen. Please call 112 from a cell phone (toll free) and 107 from a landline or 021 480 7700 for emergencies,” Booi added.
robin.francke@inl.co.za
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