‘We will not move’
"The residents don't have to fear being removed from the land as they have the right to live here."
POLOKWANE – “No one is going to leave these lands we have given you because we have the legal documents and every right to be here. This is a dispute between us and the land owner so the police cannot get involved in any way.”
These were the words of EFF Limpopo’s Provincial Secretary, Jossey Buthane as dark pillars of smoke hung over Seshego Zone 1 Extension, following a dispute between the residents and authorities who wanted to remove them from the privately owned land they are occupying on Friday.
The land which the community lives on was given to them by the EFF last year.
Buthane said the reason the EFF gave this land to the people was because the land had not been used for a long time.
The EFF subsequently decided to take some of the land so people can build houses on it as the houses in Seshego Zone 1 were too close together and as a result there was no more space for new houses.
Residents were informed that a party of people hired by the Polokwane Sheriffs were gathered at the Peter Mokaba Stadium and on their way to come and remove them from their land.
The Sheriff was asked to step in to resolve the matter by the land owner who said the people were occupying the land illegally.
The community notified EFF cadres, Buthane and Capricorn District Chairperson, Ronny Malema, who came to investigate the matter.
Upon their arrival, Buthane and Malema began singing praise songs, telling the residents that they would do all in their power to let them keep the land they gave them last year and calming the mob which was ready to defend their land from whoever wanted to take it from them.
During the protest police arrived at the scene but were met with blocked roads and burning tyres.
“We are in negotiations with the land owner about the situation and thus far everything seems to be favourable.
“The residents don’t have to fear being removed from the land as they have the right to live here,” Malema added.
Buthane and Malema advised the community to continue building their houses on the piece of land that was given to them.
Polokwane Municipality Spokesperson, Disree Manyane, said they could not get involved in the matter as the land belongs to a private owner and not the government.
“It is the responsibility of the land owner or landlord to follow the necessary proceedings to have the people living on his land removed. The municipality cannot get involved in these types of matters,” she explained.
She said the municipality notified the owner that there were people living on the land but could do nothing further.
