Municipality to remove illegal Shalimar Ridge residents

Expropriated homes filling up by the day.

April 11, 2019

Heidelberg Nigel Heraut 1 minute read

Cheers! It was celebrations all around as members of the community decided that they would take matters into their own hands by occupying houses at the Shalimar Ridge Housing Project which was supposed to have been completed many years ago.

While Lesedi Local Municipality (LLM) officials promised to have all persons who have illegally occupied homes in the Shalimar Ridge Housing Project removed, the number of occupants in these flats have increased significantly over the last week.

“Lesedi Municipality strongly discourages illegal activities similar to the one alluded to this enquiry,” acting Katleho Seaga said in a statement.

“As a result, all the necessary interventions are being put in place, law agencies were activated accordingly.”

According to Heraut’s sources the new residents have until April 19 to vacate the premises or stand to be forcefully removed on April 22. A meeting between the residents and the municipality is scheduled to take place on April 17.

Disgruntled members of the community took it upon themselves on March 28 to occupy these blocks of flats that have been under construction for more than five years. The project was due to be completed in 2017 and has since been subjected to acts of crime and vandalism.

The number of people who now call this incomplete project with no running water or electricity home, exceeds 100 and this number is increasing by the day. LLM insisted that the flats would be allocated to their rightful owners very soon.

“We plead to the community to be patient with the process of the finalisation of the housing project,” said Seaga.

“Intergovernmental relations engagements are underway to determine corrective interventions which will culminate into a project plan with clear commitments and implementation planning.

“The details will be made available upon finalisation.”

“Legal processes are underway and the municipality will be guided by these processes while taking full cognisance of the dire need for housing in our municipal area and confirming our commitment to address these matters in the most effective way,” Seaga concluded.

In the meantime the current occupants have started moving in furniture and it is clear from the roadside that new curtains are being hung every other day.