Local government takes steps to evict ‘invaders’

The provincial government is in the process of evicting individuals who have invaded houses in Olievenhoutbosch ext 27.

An eviction order has been obtained, according to Chief Director Communications in Gauteng human settlements, urban planning and cooperative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta), Tahir Sema.

“It is true the department has an eviction order,” Sema confirmed.

“To effect, an eviction order requires a lot of processes and detailed planning which are not dependent on the department but on other stakeholders such as law enforcement and the availability of a sheriff.

“Houses that have been invaded delays the handing over to the rightful beneficiaries. If the land is invaded the planning process is affected thereby delaying the whole implementation value chain,” Sema said.

“This creates strain on the provision of other services such as water and sewer provision and electrical reticulation.

“The department is in a process of affecting the court order but cannot comment on the details,” Sema added.

This comes after the Gauteng DA has raised concerns about the number of incomplete housing projects in the metro.

On Monday MMC for housing and human settlements Mpho Mehlape-Zimu accompanied by Gauteng Provincial Leader, Solly Msimanga and the DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for human settlements, Mervyn Cirota conducted an oversight inspection at incomplete illegal-invaded housing projects in Saulsville hostel and in Olievenhoutbosch extensions 27 and 36.

Mehlape-Zimu said some of the units that have been occupied in Olievenhoutbosch have not been cleared as habitable.

“I met a lady who told me most of the people who are staying here are not even from Tshwane but they are from Alexandra and Thembisa.”

READ MORE: Dogs homeless after owners were evicted

Mehlape-Zimu said Tshwane has a database of about 500 000 people that are awaiting their houses.

She said with regards to the RDPs that have been invaded, they are aware that the provincial government has a court order that was granted in 2018.

“Why they are not executing it, I do not know. Some of the people that were supposed to be there are people from Mooiplaas and the people are asking us what is happening.

“We have accepted that the people from Mooiplaas will not get these places, so we are looking at alternatives to see how we can accommodate them.”

She said they are setting up interdepartmental meetings and a security cluster to talk about the issues of land invasions in the city.

DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for human settlements Mervyn Cirota said they discovered that an empty space in Olievenhoutbosch extension 27, where 2 000 houses were to be built, has also been invaded a few weeks ago.

He said there is a new mushrooming informal settlement in the area in between the houses.

Cirota said according to the illegal occupants, specific individuals are selling pieces of land to illegal invaders.

“The 888 units of the Olievenhoutbosch ext 27 have been illegally occupied since 2017. These houses were left incomplete without bulk infrastructure, where illegal occupants have made illegal connections.

“The Olievenhoutbosch ext 36 housing project has 919 units and were invaded early this year. Other illegal occupants state that their desperation to own dignified housing has led them to illegally occupy the units.”

He said based on previous experience, the longer the housing projects remain unoccupied, the more likely they will become targets for illegal occupants, vandalism and corruption.

“The illegal occupants are costing the department more money in terms of legal fees for eviction orders, eviction processes as well as repairs for the damages.”

He said that the housing project in Saulsville hostel has 172 family units and has been invaded since 2016.

“The Tshwane metro has appointed a legal team to undertake a litigation process to secure an eviction order.

“The DA is calling on the Gauteng MEC for human settlements, Lebogang Maile to execute the implementation of the eviction orders in all Tshwane housing projects.

“We will also be tabling questions to MEC Maile in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature to ascertain the reasons behind delays in executing the eviction orders and why these housing projects have not been allocated to the rightful beneficiaries.”

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