On Friday, 21 April 2023, The J.B. Marks Municipality held a press briefing at Dan Tloome Council Chambers where they gave a breakdown on how Mooibank residents have been relocated to an area between Dassierand and Promosa that has been identified as a suitable piece of land.
The acting municipal manager, Sandile Tyatya, explained in the briefing that an alternative solution had been made for Mooibank residents who had not yet been allocated a stand by Monday, 17 April, to sleep at Potch Dam. He also confirmed that currently all 221 Mooibank residents have now been allocated stands.
See video of the media briefing here:
Acting Mayor, Leon Mkhabela briefly pointed out that the municipality is still waiting for the land audit before other informal settlements can be tackled.
He also stated that J.B. Marks is a “caring municipality, who have made provisions for our people.”
Some of the Mooibank residents slept in the cold without a roof over their heads this past week. According to Mkhabela, the municipality did their best to provide alternative solutions after the court order was executed.
“We have made sure that the relocated residents have water and sanitation as well as lights so that they are not in the dark,” he added.
Acting Mayor Leon Mkhabela and the Acting Municipal Manager, Sandile Tyatya in collaboration with the National Departments of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development and the North West Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Northwest Province on Monday, 17 April 2023 confirmed the execution of the order of the High Court of the Northwest Province requiring the relocation of Mooibank residents to a suitable piece of land.
