Station hill residents are up in arms about not being included on a list for RDP Houses in 2026. Resident and Station Hill Co-Operations Chairperson Nicolette Opperman said she received a call from a friend saying the RDP list was out and that people had gathered at Nkwenkwezi clinic to see if their names were on it. Opperman rushed over and to her surprise, on a list of 525 people, there were no Station Hill residents named.
Talk of the Town spoke to 56-year-old Station Hill resident Eleanor Vaaltyn who says she registered for a house more than 15 years ago. It broke her heart to hear that her name was not on the list.
“I live with my grandchildren in a shack. We live off my grant money. After waiting for this long I had hoped that at least next year I would get my own RDP.”
The DA’s Ndlambe caucus leader Sikhumbuzo Venene said, “The recently released list of approved RDP house beneficiaries has sparked controversy in the community. While the list has been approved by the Human Settlement Department, many residents are unhappy with how it was communicated.”
Venene said allegations had been made that some youth on the list had connections to political office bearers, which had raised questions about the fairness of the process.
“According to the department’s criteria, priority should be given to the elderly, disabled, veterans, and youth, with consideration also given to the length of time applicants have been on the waiting list. However, some municipal workers have also been included on the list, which may be problematic given their potentially higher income levels,” Venene said.
“A verification process is supposed to follow, which would assess an applicant’s current financial situation and potentially disqualify them if they own property or work for the government.”
Venene said one applicant, who registered in 1999, was removed from the list after a verification process in 2010 due to their income exceeding the department’s requirements.
Erroneously circulated
Ndlambe Municipality responded and said that in the current financial year, Ndlambe Municipality has been approved for 1,600 Top Structures (RDP Houses), allocated as follows:
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500 in Marselle (HSDG Grant)
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297 in Alexandria Zinyoka (Rectification Programme)
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301 in Alexandria Mandela Area (Rectification Programme)
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524 in Port Alfred Thornhill (HSDG Grant)
“This is the current approved status for the financial year,” spokesperson TK Mtiki said. “It is important to clarify that the list which recently circulated publicly was intended solely for ward councillors to verify beneficiaries approved within their respective wards.
“Unfortunately, the list was erroneously made public.”
Mtiki said the list was generated through the National Housing Needs Register (NHNR) system of the Department of Human Settlements. Beneficiary selection strictly followed the Council-approved Allocation Policy, which prioritised:
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The elderly,
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People with disabilities,
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Residents of informal settlements,
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Individuals who have never owned property, and
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Military veterans.
“We acknowledge the public outcry regarding the list; however, the reality is that the department has approved 524 houses, while the Housing Needs Register reflects a backlog of over 5,000 applicants awaiting housing within Ndlambe Municipality,” Mtiki said.
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This article was first published in Talk of the Town, October 16, 2025. The newspaper serving the communities of Ndlambe and the Sunshine Coast, with a weekly wrap of Makhanda news, is available at stores from early on Thursdays
