The City of Johannesburg was issued a court order issued several months ago to secure alternative accommodation for residents of the Ginger Park informal settlement in Paulshof Extension 59 (Ward 93).

This must be done by February 28.

In September 2024, the Department of Human Settlements confirmed to Fourways Review that the Ginger Park informal settlement was located on private land and that an eviction process had been initiated by the landowner.

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At the time, the department further confirmed that, following a 2019 Johannesburg High Court ruling, an occupancy audit was conducted in March 2024 to support the provision of alternative accommodation.

The audit recorded 438 structures at the settlement. City of Johannesburg spokesperson Nthatisi Modingoane has since confirmed that the number of structures has not increased since the March 2024 audit.

He said the city is currently investigating possible sites for temporary emergency accommodation (TEA) for affected residents, but no suitable site has yet been identified.

‘Court orders in their nature have a significant and direct impact on approved relocation and housing plans, as they impose immediate and legally binding obligations on the city.

“This compels the city to reprioritise and resequence its housing programmes. This necessitates that available resources be rediverted from planned projects or additional resources be sourced.”

Addressing concerns over the time taken to finalise relocation plans, despite the eviction process being known for several years, Modingoane said the city is implementing a court order handed down last year on August 28.

An oversight visit was conducted last year on December 28 at the informal settlement, attended by the MMC for Human Settlements, Mlungisi Mabaso among other officials.

Modingoane said that no commitments or resolutions were made during the visit.

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He said residents have been informed of the court order, but no communication has yet been issued regarding their future accommodation.

Amid ongoing concerns around relocation, some residents have claimed that a significant number of people living in the informal settlement are undocumented foreign nationals.

When asked to confirm how many of the affected residents are South African citizens, Modingoane said they are currently unable to provide verified figures, as identity documentation submitted by the residents has not yet been confirmed with the Department of Home Affairs.

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