Years after first settling in what was then known as the Sithole View informal settlement, Ward 110 social development committee member Annikie Mothibi alleged she is still fighting to reclaim a stand she said was allocated to another resident while she spent years in hospital.

The disputed stand is located in the Harry Gwala informal settlement near Mayibuye, an area previously known as Sithole View before residents secured the land after years of legal battles and repeated evictions.

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Mothibi claimed that before she was hospitalised, she had already erected and fenced a fully built zozo structure on the stand.

She said the structure was one of only a handful that survived repeated demolition operations by the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department and the Red Ants because it was fully built and occupied.

Community members estimate they were evicted nearly 10 times before successfully challenging the removals through the courts, eventually allowing residents to settle permanently.

According to Mothibi, she left another resident to look after her home when she was admitted to the hospital. However, she said that when she was discharged in either 2021 or 2022, she returned to find another family occupying her stand while her zozo structure had been relocated to another section of the settlement.

“I was shocked when I returned from hospital… When I came back, another family was living on my stand,” she alleged.

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She further claimed that residents told her to ask Sanco leader Thandi Matedza and Ward 110 housing committee member Kwena Moholola about the allocation.

Mothibi alleged that her zozo was relocated to a dumping site without her consent. “Everyone knew that stand belonged to me… I still want to know who authorised the removal of my home,” she said.
The housing committee disputes the claim.

Ward 110 housing committee member Kwena Moholola confirmed that Mothibi occupied a stand during the Sithole View days but disputed that she retained rights to it after the settlement evolved into Harry Gwala.

According to Moholola, residents who remained actively involved throughout the prolonged struggle eventually received official stand allocations once the development was approved.

“Annikie had a stand during the Sithole View period… By that stage there was nothing left on Anniki’s stand,” Moholola said.

Moholola said she and other leaders were unaware that Mothibi had been hospitalised. “She simply disappeared… We never knew she was in hospital,” she stated.

She further alleged that the man Mothibi had left to occupy the structure was later removed by community members after allegedly committing criminal activities.

“The community removed the man because he was allegedly stealing. After that, there was no proper structure left on the stand. Eventually, another person was allocated the site according to our beneficiary list,” Moholola said.

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Moholola rejected allegations that community leaders unlawfully removed Mothibi’s home or threatened her. “Nobody threatened her. We simply explained how the allocations happened,” she said.

She maintained that many original occupants abandoned the settlement during repeated demolitions, while those who remained continued fighting until the land was secured.

Moholola also disputed claims that Mothibi’s structure was among the few not demolished. “From the beginning, all our structures were repeatedly demolished. I never saw a fully built, fenced house that remained untouched,” she said.

She further questioned why Mothibi only raised the issue years later. “It has been about six years since Harry Gwala was established. Annikie only came back to claim the stand much later,” Moholola said.

Mothibi rejected Moholola’s version, insisting her prolonged absence was beyond her control. “How was I supposed to continue the struggle while I was lying in the hospital?” she asked.

She maintains that her stand should not have been allocated to another resident because her home had already been established before she was injured.

Sanco secretary Thandi Matedza confirmed that the committee intends to meet to discuss the matter and will provide the Midrand Reporter with its official position.

This is a developing story.

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