THE ANC and eThekwini municipality's housing department yesterday denied building houses for the party faithful in Lamontville, south of Durban.

Hundreds of the township's residents this week demanded that President Jacob Zuma and ANC provincial chairperson Zweli Mkhize intervene in what they described as a debacle in local housing development.

Under the Concerned Group banner, the residents also called for the immediate resignation of their councillor, Nolubabalo Mthembu, and the party's regional chairperson, John Mchunu, who they accused of allocating houses to outsiders.

Matters reached boiling point a few weeks ago when angry residents blockaded roads with burning tyres - forcing police to intervene.

The regional ANC and the housing department said yesterday that housing plans would not be stopped by any "threats or intimidation".

They said that concerns over service delivery were "largely misguided" because of poor communication.

"It is not true that the ANC officials are building houses for their own people. The municipality's housing developmental project in Lamontville is intended to eradicate the informal settlements surrounding the area," said Mchunu.

"This has caused much dissatisfaction to the locals, who believe their children are entitled to these houses."