By a Correspondent
A group of residents’ associations operating under the guise of representing homeowners has been accused of exploiting vulnerable residents in Epworth by soliciting money for legal battles against the government’s Presidential Title Deeds Programme.
For nearly six years, the groups have allegedly prolonged legal disputes, leaving residents in uncertainty while collecting thousands of dollars in fees whose use has been questioned.
Investigations have raised concerns about activities involving organisations such as the Epworth Urban Residents Association and the Kushinga Epworth Residents Trust. Whenever government agencies or the Epworth Local Board advance regularisation, infrastructure development or title deed distribution initiatives, the groups are accused of raising objections that create panic among residents.
By spreading claims of impending house demolitions and mass evictions, the associations allegedly persuade families that urgent legal intervention is necessary to protect their homes. They then reportedly collect money from households under the pretext of covering legal retainers, High Court applications and private surveyor fees.
The allegations include claims that distorted information and hearsay, including statements purportedly made by a heavy-equipment operator working in the area, have been used to heighten residents’ fears.
The Epworth Local Board, meanwhile, operates within statutory procedures, using formal written notices and public announcements to communicate development activities and related administrative decisions.
Despite losing at least five major court battles over the past six years, the groups are accused of pursuing further legal challenges, prompting questions about the purpose of repeated applications and the use of funds collected from residents.
The latest dispute involves a High Court application filed by Samson Ziso of the Epworth Urban Residents Association and 46 other applicants from Wards 5 and 6, in the Hospital Site area. The applicants are seeking an interdict against the Epworth Local Board over alleged threats affecting 16,000 houses.
Court documents cite longstanding grievances dating back to 2001, including disputed layout plans and alleged double allocations. However, critics of the associations contend that the latest application is also being used to solicit money from unsuspecting residents.
Whistleblowers within the associations, including former members associated with figures such as John Mabwe of the Kushinga Epworth Residents Trust, have reportedly raised concerns about how funds collected from residents are handled.
Some former mobilisers, who say they were involved in collecting money from households, accuse the organisations’ leadership of retaining most of the funds for personal benefit.
“We were used as frontline mobilisers to collect cash from households under the guise of legal contributions, but the leadership pockets almost everything,” one former insider alleged.
“Whenever a court case is dismissed, they immediately craft another petition against the Presidential Title Deeds Programme just to keep the collections going. It was never about saving homes; it was about keeping the money flowing while ordinary residents get nothing.”
The dispute has raised concerns about the impact of prolonged legal battles on efforts to regularise Epworth’s informal settlements and provide residents with formal proof of property ownership.
The Presidential Title Deeds Programme is intended to provide qualifying property owners with formal documentation of ownership. Delays in regularisation can leave residents uncertain about their tenure and vulnerable to disputes over land ownership.
Residents have been urged to exercise caution when asked to contribute money towards legal proceedings, verify the credentials of organisations soliciting funds and demand clear accounting of any contributions made.
Authorities and relevant institutions should also ensure that allegations of financial misconduct are investigated and that residents receive accurate information about regularisation, development plans and the distribution of title deeds.
