The outcome of the ANCs long-awaited KwaZulu-Natal conference was a win for the Thuma Mina crowd. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)
JOHANNESBURG, May 26 (ANA) – The South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) has welcomed a probe into the allocation of land in Hammanskraal following violent resistance by residents as attempts were made to evict them from a huge expanse of municipal land.
Sanco national spokesperson Jabu Mahlangu said on Thursday that he applauded Gauteng MEC for Human Settlements Paul Mashatile’s decision to halt the eviction process which had earlier this week turned deadly.
On Wednesday afternoon, residents were evicted from the land, which is partly owned by the Tshwane municipality and a royal family, but in the ensuing violence, two workers who formed part of the eviction team died.
Mashatile intervened in the crisis, halting the eviction process and announcing that an investigation would be set up look at the illegal distribution and sale of land land sites at the Kekana, Suurman and Sekampaneng informal settlements near Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria.
Mashatile said that the investigation would include the setting up of a steering committee that would “look at who was in the area and removed or whose shack was demolished”, and ensure that the right people returned to the land before plans to develop the land for human settlement began.
Mahlangu said: “The commitment that a housing development will cater for those who were allegedly misled into believing that their stay on the disputed land was legal is encouraging.”
He then called for “harsh punitive action to be taken against those whose actions are found to have led to clashes that resulted in loss of lives, destruction of properties and temporary displacement of residents”.
Amid talk that a local councillor had been involved in the illegal land allocation process, Mahlangu said: “The councillor alleged to have been involved in fraudulent allocations must be suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.”
He reiterated his earlier call for the community not to allow themselves to be misled and to resort to violence.
“Violence undermines the rule of law as well as a conducive environment for development and accelerated service delivery,” Mahlangu said.
Mahlangu said he hoped that the follow-up engagements between Mashatile, Tshwane Mayor Kgosientsho Ramokgopa and the Kekana Royal House “would grant temporary reprieve to occupants on the disputed land until the earmarked housing development is completed”.
– African News Agency (ANA)
Disclaimer: This story is pulled directly from the African News Agency wire, and has not been edited by Mail & Guardian staff. The M&G does not accept responsibility for errors in any statement, quote or extract that may be contained therein.