More than three months after a court-ordered deadline expired for occupants of an informal settlement opposite Centurion Mall to vacate municipal land, the Tshwane metro cannot confirm when their relocation will take place.

The Pretoria High Court granted a final eviction order on June 29, giving occupants of the settlement between BCX and the Centurion Taxi Rank in South Street 30 days to leave. The deadline expired on July 29, but occupants remain on site.

Rekord reported on the delay in August, when Ward 78 councillor Peter Sutton criticised the metro’s failure to execute the eviction and provide a relocation timeline.

Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said preparations were continuing, including securing the Sheriff’s Office and completing procurement, administrative and logistical processes.

“The city is proceeding with the arrangements required to implement the court order. Implementation has not yet taken place, as the necessary planning and co-ordination remain underway,” Mashigo said.

He confirmed that land had been identified in Region 4, but formal allocation arrangements were still being finalised. The metro has not disclosed the site’s exact location.

Mashigo said the site’s facilities and services had to be confirmed before residents could move. The metro had asked the Sheriff’s Office to assist with the eviction and was awaiting a quotation for its services.

No implementation date is available. The schedule will be determined once the sheriff’s services are secured and outstanding arrangements finalised, he said.

Mashigo said departments were working together to ensure the process was lawful and treated residents with dignity.

Delays stall planned commercial precinct

Sutton said progress had been unacceptably slow, but he remained committed to working with the metro.

“While I would have liked to see considerably more progress by now, I am encouraged that the administrative process is moving forward,” he said.

He would continue engaging with the administration to establish timelines and address obstacles, adding that relocation was critical to unlocking the proposed African Gateway Precinct development on the land.

“Centurion needs investment, economic growth and job creation,” Sutton said, adding that the development could create opportunities beyond the site.

Mashigo confirmed that the delay was postponing the development and its economic opportunities.

Residents voice crime concerns

Nearby resident Marinda Davis, from Die Hoewes, said she initially welcomed the June 29 order, believing relocation would be underway after 30 days.

The continued presence of occupants and limited information have since left residents frustrated and uncertain.

Davis acknowledged that occupants could not simply be forcibly removed after the deadline and that the eviction had to follow the court order.

“Receiving little information about the progress has left residents in limbo,” she said.

She also raised concerns about crime, alleging that wanted suspects from other areas sometimes sought refuge in the settlement after committing offences.

“It is not only unsafe for us, but it is also unsafe for the mothers and children living in the informal settlement because some of them are also victims of crime themselves.”

Despite the metro’s confirmation that arrangements are progressing, occupants and nearby residents are still waiting for a relocation date.

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