Tshwane’s mayor has hailed a court interdict halting construction at a “free-for-all housing scheme” at an Eldoraigne property as a victory for residents.
“Over the weekend the owners were restrained from erecting, maintaining or displaying any signage or structure at the [Saxby Avenue] property,” said Mokgalapa.
Owner Mohamed Karin erected several large signs on the property in Centurion where he previously wanted to construct townhouses, proclaiming it to be a “free housing scheme by the DA and EFF”.
Karin would now first have to get permission from the metro in accordance with municipal bylaws.
Karin told Rekord he would “once again” wait for the metro to approve his building plans before he resumes construction on the site.
The adverts placed at the property earlier this month advertising the housing scheme had also been removed.
The signs also supplied the telephone number of the local ward councillor as a “contact”.
However, the metro said the so-called “housing scheme” had not been approved by city council.
The metro had previously issued a contravention notice after it was discovered the owners were constructing on the property without approved building plans.
“Our investigations confirmed the intention was to build multiple buildings,” said Mokgalapa.
“To do so the owner must obtain permission from the metro’s planning division.”
Despite the order construction on the property continued.
“Seeing that their intentions were being blocked, the owners then threatened to donate the property to political parties for them to build housing camps, an act which the metro had opposed.”
ALSO READ: UPDATE: Centurion ‘free’ housing scheme adverts removed
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