Zero progress — two Limpopo families approved for RDP homes in 2002 are still waiting

Kenneth Napjane, 37, suffers from a rare mental illness. The family fears that the dilapidated house they stay in may collapse and injure or kill them. (Photo: Thomo Nkgadima)

By Thomo Nkgadima

1 May 2025

Although Anna Selahle’s application was approved in 2002, records show that no payments were made for a contractor to actually build her RDP house. Her own family, and the Napjane family of her deceased sister Josephina, have been in RDP limbo ever since.

“We can’t sleep during the night when it rains,” said 65-year-old Anna Selahle, who hails from Praktiseer outside the mining town of Burgersfort, situated in Fetakgomo Tubatse Municipality, Limpopo.

Selahle’s application for a Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) house from the government was approved in 2002. More than two decades later, the promise has not been fulfilled and she continues to live in a dilapidated home that the family believes could collapse at any moment.

Selahle and her younger sister, Josephina, both completed RDP application forms at the same time. Both were approved, but neither has received their homes. Josephina died in 2019.

Daily Maverick has seen documentary evidence of their RDP applications and approval from the Limpopo government, including their names, identity numbers, residential address and approval status. Provincial and municipal authorities have, however, failed to explain why they are still waiting.

Despite former president Thabo Mbeki in 2000 describing the platinum-rich area as poverty-stricken, and committing to allocating resources to improve the lives of residents, many continue to live below the poverty line, while no visible improvements have been made in the area.

Destitute mother Anna Selahle, 65, was promised an RDP house more than 20 years ago. (Photo: Thomo Nkgadima)

‘We all survive using my social grant’

“I am staying in a dilapidated block brick build house. I stay with my 45-year-old son. They are under my care [as well as] my 24-year-old daughter and two grandchildren. We all survive using my social grant, not enough to meet our daily needs,” said Selahle.

“To my surprise, every time when I register for an RDP low-cost house, they reject my application and claim I have benefited [from having] a house. I am wondering where and when did they build me a house?”

Read more: ‘Sometimes I cry’ — after applying in 1996, Soweto pensioner Emily Mohape still dreams of an RDP home

Selahle’s biggest fear is that one day their house may collapse and kill or injure her family.

“When it rains, we don’t sleep during the night. The house is leaking. We fear for our safety with many deep, visible cracks all over the walls. This house may fall apart anytime. I can see outside the house [by] peeping through the holes or cracks in the wall.”

Selahle’s daughter, Dimakatso, 35, said, “I wish to get a stable, better, well-paying job so I can build a better, proper house for my mother, and my little son and daughter.”

“Together with my brother Freddy, we are taking care of my mother, a pensioner who’s now suffering from… Alzheimer’s. What is worse and worrying us is that she must eat a well-balanced meal and not take her medication on an empty stomach,” Dimakatso said.

Dimakatso said the family has no option but to spend sleepless nights when it rains, having to wake up her school-going son and young daughter when the roof leaks.

Only progress is a pit toilet

While the government has not provided the family with an RDP house, in 2013, builders came and built them a pit toilet.

“The constructor built us a pit toilet in 2013. It was part of the RDP beneficiary’s house package plan. We have never seen them again, but every year they continue to build houses for other families that have applied recently. This is unfair discrimination to our family that applied before,” said Dimakatso.

Selahle said, “It is our undying wish and dream to be built a house, to restore our dignity and have a better place to stay like anyone. Our plea fell on deaf ears.”

Dimakatso added, “Yet, we continue to cast our vote for the same ANC government, hoping for change and a better life.”

The Selahle family feels that they are being overlooked and unfairly discriminated against. Without answers, they’re only left with questions.

Read more: South Africa’s social housing in a critical state — these are the reasons why

Napjane family also waiting

Anna Selahle’s younger sister, Josephina, lived next door in a house that her family also worry could collapse. They want an RDP house to help restore their dignity.

Life has been a struggle for Josephina’s family since she passed away in 2019. Their mother’s house was approved around the same time as Anna Selahle’s, but they continue to wait.

Josephina’s son, 23-year-old Aaron Napjane, is desperate to receive the house the family was approved for, so their mother’s dream can be fulfilled.

“Since our mother’s death, life has never been the same again. We were relying on her government disability social grant for survival.”

“I am trying to get a better job opportunity, so we can put bread on the table,” said Napjane.

He is a caregiver to his eldest brother, Kenneth, 37, who suffers from a mental illness.

“We survive using his disability social grant, which is not sufficient for the family’s basics such as food, clothes, toiletries, water and electricity.”

There is no running tap water in Napjane’s yard and the block brick house building is dilapidated.

Kenneth Napjane, 37, suffers from a rare mental illness. The Napjane family fears that the dilapidated house they live in may collapse and injure or kill them. (Photo: Thomo Nkgadima)

Current home a ‘death trap’

“This is a death trap, [a] ticking time bomb that may collapse anytime soon. The roof is leaking all over.”

The 33-year-old Tebalelo Napjane, Aaron’s elder brother, is a carpenter without formal training and qualifications.

“Sometimes in a good week, I get part-time odd jobs to make a living for the family,” he said.

“We are surprised [about] what criteria they are using to allocate RDP houses. Every year, the government continues building houses for their own comrades in our neighbourhood,” Aaron Napjane said.

According to the Limpopo Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs Department’s records, Anna and Josephine’s RDP houses were indeed approved to be built in 2002.

Approved, no payments made

When pressed for comment, the department’s spokesperson, Tsakani Baloyi, said, “[The] Selahles’ houses were captured and approved by Limpopo Provincial Human Settlements during [the] financial year period 2001/2002. The system shows no payment has been made to [the] contractor.”

Read more: ‘Sometimes I cry’ — after applying in 1996, Soweto pensioner Emily Mohape still dreams of an RDP home

She did not respond to questions about what happens when an application is approved but no payment is made to a contractor. She also didn’t explain how the allocating RDP houses process works and whether there’s a “first-come, first-served” policy.

The Selahles live in Ward 30 in Fetakgomo Tubatse Municipality. Their councillor, Sara Magabe, said their situation was strange. He said their names remained on the RDP waiting list, yet they were not built houses as promised.

“I will escalate this to the relevant provincial department for urgent intervention and see how best we can try to help unlock the housing backlog,” he told Daily Maverick.

Daily Maverick tried repeatedly for comment from Thabiso Mokoena, spokesperson for the Fetakgomo Tubatse Municipality Mayor Eddie Maila, and Mahlako Kome, the acting municipal manager. They did not respond to requests by the time of publication. DM

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Only progress is a pit toilet

Napjane family also waiting

Current home a ‘death trap’

Approved, no payments made