HILLSVIEW – So said the president of the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa), Kgoshi Mathupa Mokoena, when he reacted to news of land grabbing on Plot 52.

This piece of land currently belongs to the Mpumalanga Economic Growth Agency (MEGA).

Mpumalanga News has since established that talks between the community of Hillsview and MEGA to legally make the land available for communal use, with this community’s members being given first preference, are at advanced stages and any commotion could reverse these agreements.

This community is accusing some of its members of allegedly hijacking the process and illegally selling stands on Plot 52.

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Stands are allegedly being sold for anything between R50 000 and R100 000 to innocent people who do not even know to whom the land belongs.

“What is happening in Hillsview is really sad, because, first of all, our innocent people who really need stands are being taken for a ride and conned out of their savings. Secondly, we understand that there are talks to legally transfer the land to the community, but the ongoing illegal sale of stands currently happening there will have a negative impact on these talks,” said Mokoena.

He has always been vocal against land grabbing, arguing that people should always follow proper processes to apply and acquire it.

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“I think we also need to teach our people about the dangers of buying land from anyone they meet on the streets. You can’t just buy land without any receipts and title deeds. Proper channels must be followed at all times, so that government is involved in bringing in services for a particularly new establishment such as on Plot 52,” he argued. Mokoena said Contralesa does not support land grabbing.

On Wednesday November 10, Hillsview community members embarked on a peaceful protest against the illegal selling of stands on Plot 52.

The community wants to have legal permission from MEGA to take over the land and also to have local members given first preference when distributing it.

At the time going to press, MEGA had not yet responded to media queries, though it had acknowledged it had received them.