POLOKWANE – The Polokwane Municipality has confirmed that Westenburg residents would not form part of the verification process to identify the rightful claimants of the open piece of land at Ext 40 along the Matlala road near Westenburg.
Westenburg residents claimed that they also had rights to the land, but according to the municipality, Westenburg residents were not part of the verification process.
Matshidiso Mothapo, a municipal spokesperson, said: “only people from Disteneng are to be verified. The verification process is spearheaded by the Regional Land Claims Commissioner (RLCC), who will give feedback on the progress of the verification process as soon as it is available. The task team held a steering committee meeting on May 29 to discuss the implementation of the court order”.
This comes a month after the Polokwane high court ordered that all shacks, which were illegally erected on this piece of land, be removed.
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.
The shacks were removed a few days after the court order.
A task team with representatives from RLCC, Polokwane Municipality, department of cooperate governance, human settlements and traditional affairs (Coghsta) and the Disteneng land claims committee, was formed seven days after the court order on May 8.
The duty of the task team is to verify who the rightful claimants of the land at Ext 40 are.
After the verification process is completed, the RLCC would make available an amount 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 budget, be responsible for providing funds necessary for all internal services of Ext 40 transferred to verified members of the Disteneng land claimants.
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