Ga-Rena: Four out on bail after setting guard room alight
The four persons who appeared on charges of arson and public violence, after setting alight the guard room at the rental village of Ga-Rena in Ladanna, are each out on R500 bail.
POLOKWANE – According to police spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo, on May 19 at around 20:45, the guardroom was set alight by “what looked like a petrol bomb”.
Goodman Mugeri (42), Lanah Mashele (33), Katane Rodney Phala (43) and Desmond Mukhuba (36) were arrested and appeared in court on May 22, and the case was remanded to July 4.
Robert Maetisa, property manager at the Polokwane Housing Association, confirmed that they have opened a case against the suspects.
The Polokwane Municipality has also been granted an order to prevent residents from holding illegal meetings in the complex, inciting violence or threatening residents and to not allocate empty units.
The housing association, which is an entity of the Polokwane Municipality, executed a court order, evicting illegal occupants of 117 units at Ga-Rena Rental Village on May 19.
Read more: [WATCH] Polokwane Muni evicts illegal occupants from Ga-Rena Rentals
It was on the same evening that the guard room at the village was set alight.
At the time, Maetisa stated that the rental village “was hijacked” in 2012 by tenants who took over and allocated units to themselves and that the occupants owe over R63m in services and rent.
“We have been engaging with these occupants since 2018 and gave them an opportunity to obtain a lease to start paying rent. A few obliged but others ignored our calls,” he said.
On the day of the eviction, the evictees approached the court and were granted an order to stop the evictions but at the time, the municipality had already executed the evictions.
Maetisa said despite the interdict, the municipality had not acted unlawfully as, at the time of evictions, a valid court order had been granted.
“The apartments from where people were evicted are still empty, as we are waiting for post inspection and the maintenance team to start working before they can be reallocated. The apartments will be reallocated as and when they are ready for occupation.”
He said the allocations will be done according to a waiting list for vacant apartments.
“We urge people in need of accommodation to have their names added to the waiting list,” he added.
The DA in Polokwane welcomed the eviction of illegal tenants at Ga-Rena Rental Village, saying the party has been advocating for a proper tenant audit and the eviction of illegal tenants since March 2017 as properties were sub-let and even ‘leased’ to non-qualifying tenants.
The DA will be requesting progress reports on this eviction process and the subsequent reletting of these units as proper vetting should be done in order to avoid the same issues going forward, a statement reads.
