Four pieces of land in the City of Ekurhuleni had been earmarked for expropriation without compensation by the metro at its monthly council meeting in Germiston on Thursday.
Three pieces of land are privately owned, while the other is owned by government.
The council resolved to start the process in the city.
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Executive mayor Mzwandile Masina tweeted: “We are testing the limits of Section 25 of the Constitution in order to accelerate inclusive housing development for our people. There is no turning back!”
In a ground breaking move, Ekurhuleni Council resolved to expropriate identified land without compensation, for public use!.
— Eku_Legislature (@EkurhuleniL) September 27, 2018
He said: “We were the first to launch the Rapid Land Release Programme and now we want to be the first metro in Gauteng to expropriate land without compensation for the purposes of human settlement‚” Masina said.
Masina said the city wanted to serve the public and had to act “immediately to deal with its housing challenges”.
He said the owners of the four occupied properties had “essentially relinquished their property-ownership rights and responsibilities”.
According to Masina the City plans to immediately develop and establish townships on these pieces of land.
Today, Ekurhuleni Council resolved on the Expropriation of Land without Compensation of 4 properties in the City. We are testing the limits of Section 25 of the Constitution in order to accelerate inclusive housing development for our people. There is no turning back! pic.twitter.com/ZMFCicBdmc
— Mzwandile Masina (@mzwandileMasina) September 27, 2018
The four properties are:
• PTN 40 of Farm Rietfontein 63-IR‚ which is 4.4. hectares;
• REM 2 Elandsfontein 90-IR‚ which is 101.2 hectares;
• The remainder of Extent Benoni 77-IR‚ which is 205 hectares and government-owned; and
• PTN 406 Farm Driefontein 85-IR‚ which is 33.6 hectares.
Masina said the owners had essentially relinquished their property ownership rights on these pieces of land.
