Amid recent land invasions across the City of Johannesburg, Mayor Herman Mashaba aims to fast track the housing process, but warned that illegal occupation of land will only deter this process.
Mashaba further accused the African National Congress (ANC) of orchestrating land invasions with the aim of destabilising the new coalition administration, calling it a blatant abuse of vulnerable people to achieve political ends.
The mayor invited residents of Orange Farm to tell their stories at a media briefing on 9 September in Braamfontein, where residents claimed the ANC was behind the land invasions.
He announced that within the next 90 days, the City will compile and he will sign off a housing list. He said the City will not lie to residents and said, “[There is] no quick fix to the massive housing backlog.
“What those hell-bent on destabilising the City at all costs must understand, is that with every illegal land occupation, land for housing developments is held up. And law-abiding residents, who have been waiting for services and houses for years under the previous ANC administrations, are made to wait even longer.”
Mashaba voiced his concerns said that this is not a cheap political stunt. He said the City first has to identify land, then install infrastructure like water and electricity, before giving title deeds to people on the waiting list. “We cannot have our people living without toilets. We need to service the land first,” he said.
But Mashaba said if people invade land, they invade property that does not belong to them. “All land occupation, without prior authorisation by relevant authorities, remain illegal and, by law, JMPD is mandated to evict people off illegally occupied land,” he said.
The ANC’s Gauteng spokesperson, Motalatale Modiba, has been approached for comment. As soon as it is received, the story will be updated.
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