POLOKWANE – The Polokwane high court ordered on Friday that all shacks, which were illegally erected on an open piece of land at Ext 40 along the Matlala road near Westenburg, be removed within seven days of the court order.

The court order interdicts and restrains anybody from illegally occupying and building or erecting any structure for residential or any other purpose on the land.

This comes after five shacks were erected on May 2, by residents from Disteneng who claimed they had title deeds as proof that they had the right to occupy the land.

However, none of these residents could produce a title deed when Review visited the area and requested to see them.

Representatives from the regional land claims commissioner (RLCC), Polokwane Municipality, department of cooperative governance, human settlements and traditional affairs (Coghsta) and the Disteneng land claims committee will form a task team within seven days of the court order.

The duty of the task team is to verify who the rightful claimants of the land at Ext 40 are.

Tidimalo Chuene, a municipal spokesperson, said the RLCC would conduct a verification process of the Disteneng land claimants and would make available an amount of no less than R19 million to be used as funding for services in respect of internal roadworks.

“Coghsta will then identify from the list of verified claimants who qualifies for housing subsidies in terms of the housing subsidies policy of the department. Coghsta will also, as per its budget, be responsible for providing funds necessary for all internal services of all the Ext 40 transferred to the verified members of the Disteneng land claimants,” Chuene said.

‘Illegal land claims the work of EFF’