According to the Ekurhuleni municipality, to occupy council-owned land, an application form needs to be completed, including a locality plan clearly indicating the exact location of the subject property.
This clarity from the metro comes after Windmill Park residents clashed with the EMPD officers recently when they illegally tried to erect shacks at two vacant pieces of land in the area.
Residents claimed that these pieces of land situated along Barry Marais Road and near Thulasizwe Primary School have turned into a war zone where people are reportedly being raped and killed.
READ STORY: Vacant land apparently has turned into a war zone
Apparently, the EMPD opposed the community members when they were busy erecting their shacks.
One of the community leaders Sarah Mokoena alleged that EMPD officials assaulted some of the community members by hitting them, choking and forcefully taking their tools.
According to Kobeli Mokheseng, EMPD spokesperson, on that day, the crowd threw foreign objects towards them and that’s when EMPD officers retaliated by firing rubber bullets in order to disperse the uncontrollable crowd, following numerous warnings.
Mokheseng highlighted that on January 11, their First Response Unit members attended an illegal gathering complaint in Windmill Park area, on Barry Marais, by the open space.
“On arrival, we enquired about their gathering since it was not lawful and we never received any application. It was established that the group were discussing to occupy the vacant land, without following due processes.
“They were advised that their actions are not in accordance with the law before the crowd dispersed peacefully. The next day, January 12, we received another call, affirming the very same action of the previous day.
“On arrival, we warned them to refrain from what they were planning before they dispersed peacefully,” he said.
Mokheseng said again on January 18, they responded to a protest action at Barry Marais Road, where the road was barricaded with rocks, rubble and burning tyres.
He said on arrival, lawbreakers ran to different directions and they cleared the road.
“Later on that day we received a tip-off that illegal structures were being erected alongside Barry Marais road. The following day, First Response, Public Order Policing and Land Invasion Units responded to address the land-invasion complaint and indeed structures were up and no one was on the scene at that time.
“All illegal structures were removed and loaded to trucks. As we left the open area, we came across an unruly group of protesters, singing and chanting, at the same time, blocking the road,” Mokheseng said.
He said no casualties were reported during and after their intervention.
Nhlanhla Cebekhulu, metro’s divisional head of communication, said if there’s anyone who wants to occupy council- owned land they should get an application form obtained at the Boksburg CCA, second floor, offices 227 and 230.
“The Ekurhuleni municipality has approved the lease application fee at an amount of R500 per application submitted for processing, effective from July 1, 2019. An official will assist the applicant in identifying the property, by enquiring on the GIS,” Cebekhulu said.
