LINDLEY Farm occupants of 19 years, who are being threatened with eviction, say they will not move to Diepsloot. They want to live in Cosmo City or be left alone.
Residentshave since 1993 lived on Lindley Farm near Lanseria Airport, north of Johannesburg, after coming to an agreement with the former director of Lindley Farm Jacobus Gustavus Pansegrouw.
Lindley Farm's legal advisor, Gerrie de Bruin, who had been part of the matter, said initially they built houses for 44 occupants.
Agreements were made but the problems began when the original occupants moved out and sublet their houses.
"The original people we had agreements with moved out without telling us and the new occupants knew nothing about the terms," De Bruin said.
The residents started to default on payments every six months inspections by the company De Bruin said revealed that toilets were broken, pipes had burst and taps were stolen.
"We fixed what was broken from Mr Pansegrouw's own pocket but we told the people that they were also responsible for their own maintenance," he said.
One of the reasons the residents said they stopped paying rent was the lack of services.
"We paid R250 rent a month before and then the farm's condition started deteriorating," the residents said.
De Bruin also said the city had allocated land when development in Cosmo City began but even then the dwellers would not move.
"We had to demolish the asbestos houses because if they stayed they would probably get tuberculosis and we would be sued."
Farm occupants refuse to budge
LINDLEY Farm occupants of 19 years, who are being threatened with eviction, say they will not move to Diepsloot. They want to live in Cosmo City or be left alone.
Residentshave since 1993 lived on Lindley Farm near Lanseria Airport, north of Johannesburg, after coming to an agreement with the former director of Lindley Farm Jacobus Gustavus Pansegrouw.
Lindley Farm's legal advisor, Gerrie de Bruin, who had been part of the matter, said initially they built houses for 44 occupants.
Agreements were made but the problems began when the original occupants moved out and sublet their houses.
"The original people we had agreements with moved out without telling us and the new occupants knew nothing about the terms," De Bruin said.
The residents started to default on payments every six months inspections by the company De Bruin said revealed that toilets were broken, pipes had burst and taps were stolen.
"We fixed what was broken from Mr Pansegrouw's own pocket but we told the people that they were also responsible for their own maintenance," he said.
One of the reasons the residents said they stopped paying rent was the lack of services.
"We paid R250 rent a month before and then the farm's condition started deteriorating," the residents said.
De Bruin also said the city had allocated land when development in Cosmo City began but even then the dwellers would not move.
"We had to demolish the asbestos houses because if they stayed they would probably get tuberculosis and we would be sued."
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