Municipality dispels land auction misinformation
Members of the public, businesses and other interested parties are urged to register for the scheduled October 14 to 15 land auctioning.
Mogale City Local Municipality’s (MCLM) Human Settlements Division noted with concern the dissemination of non-factual and inciting information regarding the disposal of municipal property.
According to MCLM communications officer Refilwe Mahlangu, disposing of municipal land will not only afford Mogale City a profiting opportunity for strategic revenue enhancement and increased project funding but also address several illegal uses stemming from unused land including dumping, environmental pollution, high maintenance costs and criminal activities.
“Following council resolutions endorsing this approach dating back as far as 2017, the municipality is rolling out its land release programme. Considering growing pressure on the national fiscus, reduced annual budget allocations and growing city operational expenses, the disposal project will not only aid in lowering the municipality’s operating costs but also raise capital to fund essential service delivery initiatives, and in so doing speed up the municipality’s ability to provide improved and efficient services to our constituency,” Refilwe said.
“Whereas the programme has been welcomed based on the registrations and related enquiries received, there does appear to be negative elements aiming to intentionally destabilise the process,” she added.
The municipality therefore wishes to provide clarity coupled with information related to a phased auctioning process to allay public concerns and dispel misinformation.
The land disposal process will comprise the following three phases:
• Phase 1: Auctioning of properties, on October 14 and 15, which does not include the sale of any homes
• Phase 2: Engagements with occupants of houses/ properties built on municipal land
• Phase 3: Follow-up engagements with churches and faith-based organisations after Human Settlements MMC’s initial discussions with the sector
“Our Human Settlements Division would like to encourage members of the public, businesses and other interested parties to register for the scheduled October 14 to 15 auction. Registration is currently underway at the Centenary Hall on Market Street or online,” Refilwe said.
She concluded that all interested parties can also contact the appointed service provider with further enquiries on 011 574 5700.
