Gauteng to evict illegal land invaders

The Gauteng department of human settlements has instructed the state attorney to obtain eviction orders to remove people who have allocated themselves government-subsidised houses and invaded unoccupied land.

Human settlements MEC Lebogang Maile told journalists in Sandton on Monday that illegal occupation of houses was a serious problems affecting the delivery of houses to those who qualify.

“We also have eviction orders against the unlawful occupiers of unallocated housing units and empty stands in the following areas – Olievenhoutbosch, Vlakfontein, Orange Farm and Nellmapius. The state attorney has been instructed to proceed with identified court orders for all identified high-risk areas, as per our intelligence report. Court papers have been drafted and are to be lodged this month.

“After the lockdown regulations have been relaxed, we will enforce these evictions,” Maile said.

Occupation of land and unallocated subsidised houses has been a problem for both the provincial government and municipalities in Gauteng. Recently, thousands of people allocated themselves places in a housing development in Fleurhof. The Red Ants clashed with residents who vowed they would not be removed from the properties as they have been waiting for houses for years.

Land invasions they have been happening sporadically in different parts of the province.

Maile also said that 1,500 community patrollers have been trained by the department of community safety and police to counter the rise in land invasion. The project comes at a cost of R11m in just a three-month period.