90 Homes Destroyed by Polokwane Municipality After Being Built Illegally on Municipal Land

• People illegally occupying municipal property in Polokwane had their homes demolished on Monday, 24 October
• The occupants allegedly bought stands from an individual who claimed to own the land for R7 000 a piece
• The municipality claimed that they tried to engage the illegal occupants for three years to no avail

BLOUBERG - 90 homes in Senwabarwana, Polokwane, were demolished on Monday, 24 October, after being illegally erected on municipal land.

According to the Blouberg municipality, the occupants were allegedly sold pieces by an individual claiming to own the land. Each occupant was conned into paying R7 000 for their stand.

The municipality secured a court order that allowed for the destruction of the homes after engaging with the illegal occupants of the municipal land for over three years.

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The negotiation failed to reach a conclusion that the municipality was happy with, resulting in it taking the legal route, TimesLIVE reported.

Municipal manager Refilwe Ramothwala said that the Limpopo High Court ruled that all illegal farm occupants were directed to remove all erected structures within 72 hours of the judgment passed on 19 October 2021.

The occupants failed to comply with the court order, forcing the municipality to enforce it. The manager added that the municipality notified the illegal occupants about the demolition on Sunday, 23 October.

Ramothwala added that the municipality would continue to demolish structures on the illegally occupied farms if the occupants failed to vacate municipal property, SowetanLIVE reported.

South Africans react to the demolition of 90 homes in Limpopo

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While some South Africans applauded the municipality for taking action, others claimed the move was unjust.

Here are some reactions:

@gento2 commented:

"I kinda like polokwane man. "

@sicology_SS claimed:

"Municipality can't produce court order to demolish. This land is not municipal land at all. The matter is under the court but the municipality decided to go and demolish without giving people notices."

@boishaai asked:

"Where is Malema now ?"

@barry_niekerk added:

"Sorry for the people that got scammed, but that kind of anarchy cannot be entertained."

New housing development will create 20k homes from Sandton to Alex, SA unimpressed

In another story, Briefly News reported that residential property developer, Calgro M3, has been given the green light for its Frankenwald development, which will build more than 20 000 residential units in Sandton.

The development will cater for people from different income groups. The group published its financial report on Monday, 17 October and said the project is expected to stream in mid-2023.

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The project has been described as an enhancement of affordable homes in Sandton. According to News24, the development will run from the Kelvin suburb to Alex.

Source: Briefly News