Million homeowners don't have title deeds

Johannesburg - More than a million RDP home owners do not have their title deeds, the DA said on Sunday.

This had been revealed in a reply to a parliamentary question, Democratic Alliance MP Patty Duncan said in a statement.

"This is based on an analysis of South Africa’s title deeds backlog in 2010. Three years later, the figure could very well be higher," she said.

Duncan said she had written to Public Protector Thuli Madonsela asking her to investigate the backlog and reports of irregular transfers and fraudulent alteration of title deeds registries.

"I will also request that the new Minister of Human Settlements Connie September be summoned to Parliament to present a title deeds registration backlog eradication plan," Duncan said.

She said title deeds protected property rights, and allowed owners to secure loans and to pass the property on to family members when they died.

"Without title deeds, none of this can happen. The backlog is therefore prohibiting poor households from fully benefiting from property ownership and participating in the economy."

Duncan said the Western Cape started a title deeds programme in 2011 to reduce its backlog. More than 20 000 title deeds had been issued since then, she said.