POLOKWANE – The Polokwane Municipality plans to enforce its Integrated Land Use Scheme and impose penalties on property owners operating illegal backyard rental units and student accommodation in Seshego, Mankweng and surrounding township areas.

The announcement was made when the municipality’s Integrated Development Plan (IDP) Status Quo Report for 2027/28 was tabled at a special council meeting at the Polokwane Council Chamber recently.

According to the report, the penalty system will target property owners who have built backyard rooms and student boarding facilities without the necessary consent-use approvals, rezoning or approved building plans.

Owners who have already built rental rooms will need to regularise their properties to avoid penalties and possible service disconnections.

Pressure on township infrastructure

The municipality says the problem is particularly severe in township extensions, where houses originally designed for single families now accommodate multiple households.

This has increased pressure on water supplies, sewerage systems and electricity networks.

The report attributes the growth in backyard rentals and overcrowding partly to urbanisation and rising demand for housing, which has placed additional strain on existing homes and municipal infrastructure.

Water and wastewater capacity under strain

Water shortages and wastewater capacity are among the municipality’s major concerns.

Polokwane requires about 174 megalitres of water per day but can produce only 118.5 megalitres.

Meanwhile, the Mankweng Wastewater Treatment Works, designed to process eight megalitres daily, is receiving between 10 and 15 megalitres.

The municipality warns that unauthorised extensions and additional occupants are contributing to the pressure on already strained services.

Land invasions and court orders

Land invasions have added to the challenge.

According to the report, the council has obtained court orders to protect land parcels in Polokwane Extensions 40, 108, 78, 106 and 107, as well as Erf 60 and Erf 374 in Seshego 9G.

The report also identifies unplanned land allocations by traditional leaders on the urban fringe as a contributing factor to uncontrolled settlement growth.

Areas named include:

• Mamahule
• Jansen Park
• Moremadi
• Morgen Zone
• Mamadimo
• Kwena Moloto II

Other concerns

Other concerns include:

• Informal settlements in road reserves and flood lines
• Poorly developed streets and roads

Although 33 properties flagged for illegal land use were initially identified mainly in the north-western part of the CBD, including Buite, Boom, Bok, Dahl, Devenish, Excelsior and Onder streets, officials say the problem has increasingly spread to Seshego and Mankweng.

Houses accommodate 20 or more

The report describes cases where houses have been divided with partition boards to accommodate 20 or more people, sometimes with illegal water and electricity connections.

What owners must do

Under the Polokwane Integrated Land Use Scheme of 2022, property owners must:

• Apply for consent use or rezoning to Residential 2
• Submit as-built building plans prepared by a registered professional
• Obtain a Certificate of Occupancy

The municipality says compliance with these requirements is necessary to bring unauthorised rental properties into line with planning regulations and reduce pressure on municipal services.