EFF member faces land invasion charges
Rasta vows not to back down until locals get land.
eMBALENHLE – Despite being arrested for invading land in Ext 22, Mr John (Rasta) Mahlangu is at it again.
This Economic Freedom Fighters member vowed not to stop encouraging locals to invade land and said Govan Mbeki Municipality will not make him back down as he is representing residents in need.
More than 200 residents invaded land in November.
Mr Mahlangu has engaged with the municipality to allocate land to residents.
“They however did not take me serious,” he said.
According to Mr Mahlangu, the people who invaded land were not young, the majority were elderly people who have applied for stands for a year and were not winning.
“The municipality must give land to the people and stop making excuses.
“The elderly do not have homes.
“The municipality told us last year the land was not good enough for people to live on, but they are currently building RDP on it?
“Who are they fooling?
Mr Mahlangu said another problem is who the beneficiaries of these houses will be.
He said they want the list so they can verify whether the right people can benefit.
According to him, people who deserve RDP houses are usually robbed of their houses, because the houses are sold to others.
“The RDP houses on the other side of the section are occupied by people who can afford housing.
“Do you think a person driving a Mercedes Benz or a BMW can not afford a house? It is ironic.”
Mr Bheki Kubheka, head of Communications and Marketing of the municipality, confirmed Council has opened a case against Mr Mahlangu.
He discouraged residents from invading land and said they will face criminal charges.
Mr Mahlangu is facing a charge of trespassing and will appear in the Evander Magistrate’s Court on 28 February.
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