More than 20 Phoenix residents say they were scammed out of their life savings by a property developer implicated in an SIU investigation into irregular land sales in eThekwini.
Residents claim they paid hundreds of thousands of rands for homes that were never completed, legally approved, or transferred with some properties allegedly resold to other buyers. Despite court orders, refunds have not been paid. Several victims have opened fraud and contempt-of-court cases.
The SIU report, released in August, found widespread maladministration in the sale of municipal land, unlawful appointments of developers, and corrupt relationships between developers and officials who received financial benefits. The matter is being referred to the Special Tribunal for civil action.
Victims many financially ruined and emotionally distressed say years of unanswered calls, stalled construction, and broken promises have left them without homes and without justice. They vow to continue pursuing accountability.