ZCC locks horns with City of Joburg over Diepsloot land
DIEPSLOOT - The giant Zion Christian Church has locked horns with the City of Johannesburg over a strip of land in Diepsloot. The impasse dates back to 2014 and has since sucked in the office of the Public Protector.
ZCC pastor of the Diepsloot parish, Joseph Tsotetsi, told Fourways Review this week that the continued occupation of his church’s land was delaying the singing of hallelujah by his brethren.
“We bought that land for R70 000 a long way back but the City of Johannesburg allowed informal settlers to invade our land. We asked the council to evict the informal settlers but they have been sending us from pillar to post,” said Tsotetsi.
He accused the local leadership in Diepsloot of parcelling-out their land to poor settlers – he, however, did not mention anyone by name.
His church also sought assistance from the office of the Public Protector. The office wrote back to Tsotetsi, advising him to institute a civil claim against the government.
A senior manager of the Public Protector’s complaint and stakeholder department, Ms L Sekele said, “Please note that if you are considering instituting a civil claim against any government department, institution or agency, by law they must be notified within six months of the date of the incident complained of.” Sekele added that she was also assessing whether the nature of Tsotetsi’s complaint falls within the jurisdiction of the Public Protector’s office.
The regional head of housing in Region A, Piheagane Maponya, under which Diepsloot falls, conceded that the church’s land was invaded. In a letter to Tsotetsi, Maponya promised to move the land invaders to stands 139, 140 and 141 of farm 388 in Diepsloot Ext 1.
“As soon as housing (officials) vacate the stands 139, 140 and 141, it will appoint a relocation contractor to demolish the current offices, in order to make for settling the 20 shacks currently invading your property,” stated the letter. This arrangement has, however, not yet been implemented, leaving Tsotetsi writhing with disappointment.
Maponya declined to take questions from Fourways Review when this paper called to establish why the land invaders have not yet been evicted.
Questions e-mailed to City of Johannesburg spokesman Nthatis Madingoane remained unanswered by the time of going to press.
“I want to erect prayer structures and this delaying is delaying the praying mission of our church,” fumed Tsotetsi.
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