Mbombela to fence illegal settlement
The municipality intends to fast-track the transfer of Msholozi this year.
MBOMBELA – The local municipality intends to fast-track the transfer of the illegal settlement near Rocky Drift.
The municipal council resolved during a special council meeting on Thursday to fence Msholozi, which is located next to Phumlani Village, to prevent further encroachments on the land.
The area still belongs to the National Department of Public Works, and Mbombela has engaged with it to transfer the land in order to formalise the settlement which ballooned in 2013. Until the transfer has been completed, Mbombela’s role in providing basic services to the area is limited, according to a report on the settlements that was tabled last week.
Only once the transfer has been effected would families living in areas affected by restrictions such as the flood line be moved. Council also resolved that, henceforth, that no individual would be allowed to allocate stands and only the ward committee would be able to represent the community.
The transfer will avoid multiple allocations of one stand to many people. A social survey compiled by a technical committee and consultants Umsebe Development Planners, showed that some people owned more than 16 stands. The survey indicated that there were 3 376 stands of which 3 094 were residential, 54 for business use, 28 for both residential and business, 18 as churches, three are for creches and one for a school.
The mayoral committee agreed to submit a progress report on the environmental and traffic impact assessments, the proposed layout plan, a geotechnical study and flood line, by October.
