“We are exploring various options with Ekurhuleni, but we are still planning to develop the land and, therefore, the eviction will be carried out in the future,” said Graham Ransom, of Living Africa.
Eviction is inevitable after the land owner, Living Africa Properties, sought a High Court order for the removal of more than 10 000 residents, who stay on the piece of land known as Angelo Dump, along Main Reef Road, in Boksburg.
Though the eviction order required the property to be vacated by February 1, Living Africa decided to delay the evictions, pending discussion among the affected parties.
Putting residents at ease, metro spokesperson Themba Gadebe assured them that the metro has a strategic plan in place to mitigate the problem, adding that the municipality has already identified alternative land for the relocation of the affected communities.
“This matter is at an advanced stage of negotiations with the owners of the identified land,'' he said.
''There are also plans for certain affected members of the community to be allocated to housing projects in the area, should they qualify in terms of the housing subsidy criteria.”
According to Gadebe, identifying alternative land parcels for possible acquisition will assist the metro to address the housing backlog in and around the mining belt.
Following the sad news that their days in the current area are numbered, thousands of residents of the informal settlement recently marched to the Boksburg Civic Centre to hand over a memorandum of grievances.
They threatened to take up arms if the eviction is executed. – @FanieBoksburg
