Department of Justice responds to abandoned house in Smuts Street Ermelo
“The house was never intended for homeless people to stay in.”
ERMELO – The Department of Justice (DoJ), responded to enquiries about the abandoned house in 28 Smuts Street in Ermelo, that the Highvelder newspaper reported on on July 9.
The report followed after a homeless man allegedly murdered another homeless man because of occupancy at the house on June 26.
According to Mr Steve Mahlangu, spokesman of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, the building was meant as a residential house for DoJ officials working in Ermelo Magistrate’s office.
He said the house was vacated in 2015 when the official who was occupying the property moved to another area.
LEES OOK: Haweloses op Ermelo beset ou staatshuis in Smutsstraat
Thereafter, attempts were made from the department to hand the house over to the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI), with the aim to create office accommodation in 2016, in order to address the office accommodation challenges at the main court building.
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Mr Mahlangu added these attempts were not immediately successful due to budgetary constraints.
“The house was never intended for homeless people to stay in.
“It has emerged during previous probes by DoJ officials that the people staying in the house, are from surrounding villages and farms, in search of greener pastures.
“The house may possibly be used for alternative office accommodation once the budget is available as indicated before,” he said.
Read his full response in the Highvelder newspaper.
