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Standoff after land invasions

ILLEGAL: Land is being fraudulently sold to desperate people in some parts of Lenasia. PHOTO: Simon Mathebula
ILLEGAL: Land is being fraudulently sold to desperate people in some parts of Lenasia. PHOTO: Simon Mathebula

RESIDENTS of Lenasia Extension 13 faced the police and Gauteng department of local government and housing officials in a renewed battle over land invasions.

The department brought in bulldozers on Tuesday to demolish houses built illegally on its land.

The residents claimed they had bought the stands for amounts ranging from R5,000 to R90,000.

The government claimed the residents bought the land from fraudsters.

The residents said the evictions were taking place while they were still negotiating with the government to allow them to stay on the disputed land.

"There is a court order interdicting the government from demolishing our houses. There will be another Marikana if they touch our houses," an angry resident said.

A similar standoff took place in Lenasia Extension 3 on Monday, when residents accused a local man of wanting them off the land because "he wanted the land to build flats to rent out".

"We don't understand how this man can claim the land without proving that it belonged to him," said a resident.

In both instances the invaders had been served with notices dated October 11 2012, ordering them to vacate the land within seven days, failing which they would be evicted.

Three people were earlier this year convicted of fraud for illegally selling vacant government land to desperate people.

Hlengiwe Ximba was sentenced to six years in jail, with three years suspended for illegally selling government land in Lenasia.

Her two accomplices, Nomusa Tshabalala and Gcinile Sithole, both members of the Vlakfontein Development Forum, were found guilty of fraud.

They had fraudulently sold a government-owned stand to three different people.

Tshabalala was sentenced to three years imprisonment and Sithole was given a three- year suspended sentence.

Department spokesman Motsamai Motlhaolwa confirmed that the department had warned the invaders to vacate the land.

- xabav@sowetan.co.za

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