Marikana land owner to evict residents?
The residents of Marikana informal settlement near Bophelong are living in fear, sleeping with one eye open a after rumours spread like a wild fire that the plot owner will soon evict them.
BOPHELONG.- The alleged owner is known only as Mr Koekemoer and he has apparently threatened the approximately 5 000 households possible evictions very soon. In the taxi ranks, corner to corner and at the societies people area talking about the possible and impending eviction. Residents
Moeketsi Kaposa and Rebecca Maleka said they heard the owner at one of the national radio station announcing that he demands his land.
Others believe that the ‘legitimate owner’ apparently does not exist as they have not been served with a court order.
The informal settlement was started in 2019 when the Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) brought a few squatters from Joko Tea informal settlement and the place began to mushroom during the hard lockdown. It is said that The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) came to the party and provided the residents with ‘better sized’ stands. The ELM provided them with mobile toilets and Jojo water tanks at the corners of each street. Meanwhile, the residents want to know why the owner is only taking action now, after so long.
” The owner was supposed to enforce the law immediately when we came here,” the residents said.
Approached for comment ELM Spokesperson Makhosonke Sangweni told Sedibeng Ster that they have not been approached by anyone regarding Marikana informal settlement’s land.
