MEC for Gauteng Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and Human Settlements, Dikgang Uhuru Moiloa, will be holding regional summits in the province to report on the Rapid Land Release process which was spearheaded by the Premier earlier in the year.
These regional engagements will outline the process towards the establishment of community Participatory Development Forums, and spell out the Department’s response towards human settlement demand for land and housing as well as interrogate issues of ownership of the state and expropriation of land without compensation for public interest.
MEC Moiloa said “We condemn the continuing disrespect for the orderly land reform led by a democratic government, we reject with contempt anarchist and criminals who prey on the poor and landless by extorting money and ransom by promising them land through illegal means and land grabs. We encourage the arrest of shack lords who are misleading our people by pretending that the land they built the shack on is there’s. The Department will work with law enforcement agencies to stem the tide of shack farming.”
He called on the South African Police Services and all law enforcement agencies to invoke the Criminal Matters Amendment Act and related legislations to ensure security of infrastructure, including the land earmarked for human settlement development and other infrastructure assets of the state.
“Government has committed to working with all stakeholders in particular the homeless and landless to find a lasting solution to housing issues and address the housing backlog. Land grabs and shack farming defeat the plans and efforts of Government to build decent shelter and deliver sustainable human settlements to our people” said the MEC.
MEC Moiloa further cautioned the people of Gauteng not to be lured by criminals to occupy any state property such as land and housing under a disguise of the homeless but with a clear greed and criminal intention to illegally collect money from the land and housing invaders once settled in the squatter camp.
“Government is not sitting idle, doing nothing about housing issues: there are mega projects that have been established and approved which will yield not less than 10 000 housing units per project and government will be building high rise RDP houses, bonded houses, clinics, schools, sports ground and shopping centres, and that is why it is very important that there is land available.
MEC Moiloa has also appealed to the community to engage government before taking to the streets in protest, and destroying public property.
“Government respects the rights of people to protest, which is enshrined in the constitution, but it should be done in a peaceful and orderly manner and should be the last resort after exhausting all the channels” he said.