People in this community have been complaining for some time that there are not enough houses or land. Some residents even claimed a piece of land adjacent to Blybank in April this year. That was until the mining house, Sibanye-Stillwater, which owns the land, chased them away with the help of the police.
On Monday, a councillor, Mr Welile Fihla and another concerned resident, Mr Michael Mpengesi took the Herald to a vacant municipal stand that was being subdivided, allegedly by a prominent member of the ruling party for his own financial benefit.
According to Fihla and Mpengesi the stand, situated in Thrush Street, is set to be rented out to people who want to put up informal houses. They claim the same man has already done the same elsewhere in the town.
‘He thinks he is the landlord of Wedela but this land does not belong to him,’ Fihla complained.
The Herald asked the Merafong City Local Municipality about the problem on Tuesday. A municipal spokesperson said the municipality was not aware of the problem and suggested that residents with complaints should come forward and supply more details. ‘The Blybank housing project was signed off many years ago. Any vacant stands that belong to the municipality must be alienated in terms of Section 14 of the Municipal Financial Management Act,’ the spokesperson added.
