Absa responds to the Plot 11 relocation saga
"Any relocation [of the people] on the property would not be effected by Blue Age, but by the Sheriff of the Court."
Community members recently voiced their outrage over Mogale City Local Municipality’s plans to relocate members of the Mtombo informal settlement to Plot 11 in Honingklip.
In an urgent meeting with members of the public, business owners and residents of the area, Patrick Lipudi, Executive Mayor of Mogale City said on Wednesday, 13 September that these were only plans.
“Mogale City simply suggested that the residents be moved to Plot 11 and no final plans have been made to do so. We have not even started the relocation process.”
He said this came after Absa Bank issued a warrant of eviction for the people living on the grounds next to Cradlestone Mall because they are illegal squatters.
Read the initial article here: Efforts to move informal settlement behind Cradlestone Mall halted
Afterwards various angry members of the public informed the News that they believe that Absa should be responsible for the relocation of the squatters.
Absa confirmed the ground belonged to them, and that they had indeed given eviction letters to the squatters.
“Barclays Africa Group Limited confirms that the land in question is owned by Blue Age Properties, which is a subsidiary of Barclays Africa Group Limited,” said Zintle Letlaka, one of the spokespersons for Barclays Africa.
“Any relocation [of the people] on the property would not be effected by Blue Age, but by the Sheriff of the Court, following a court order obtained in November 2015, which ordered the eviction of the illegal occupants from the land by Mogale City Council, and further instructed the council to relocate the illegal occupants to an alternative portion of land.”
They claim that since the court’s ruling, Blue Age has been co-operating with the Mogale City Council towards the responsible relocation of the informal settlement by Mogale City to the alternative land.
“Blue Age continues to comply with all legal processes and court rulings on the matter,” said Letlaka.
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