Human Settlements deals with illegal connections at Beverly Hills- 23 August 2021

Office of the Premier 2021/08/22 - 22:00



Rofhiwa Marubini 

Through a series of meetings and with the Beverly Hills Rates Payers Committee, Gauteng Government has mandated Eskom and Metsi a Lekoa to disconnect all illegal connections in the area.

The province has also committed to having visible policing to deter further illegal connections, Gauteng MEC for Human Settlements, Urban Planning, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Lebogang Maile said.

The MEC visited Beverly Hills near Evaton to listen to the resident's concerns include the Rapid Land Release Programme(RLRP) undervalue their properties, bonded houses registered as RDP stock, illegal selling of land by known individuals within the area and a list of RLRP beneficiaries coming from outside their ward.

Other concerns include the illegal connections of water and electricity by illegal invaders are causing them to pay more for services as well as the origins of land being owned by department and resold back to the department.

In 2018 the Gauteng Provincial Government bought 777 serviced sites to build RDP stock for qualifying beneficiaries. 

The provincial government decided to allocate the site to qualifying beneficiaries as part of its RLRP.

On the matter of the original owner of the land, a complainant approached the Public Protector (PP) and the outcome favoured the provincial government's position, dismissing the ill-advised allegation.

To tackle illegal invasions in the area, provincial governments; sourced private security to watch over the land, whilst Development Planning within the province is working on the reconnection of bulk infrastructure, clearing, and pegging.

A criminal case was opened with SAPS to deal with the illegal selling of land. A court order has been granted to the province interdicting and restricting anyone from erecting, attempting to erect or completing the erection of any illegal structures on the said land.

The court interdict which prevents anyone from bringing any building materials onto the land, intimidating, harassing, or assaulting anyone enforcing the court order as well as inciting and encouraging any other persons to settle on the land or erect structures to illegally occupy the land was issued.

 The provincial government has also proceeded to instruct the State Attorney to apply for eviction against occupants of all completed structures.

MEC Maile said they will be enforcing an eviction order.

Already served the land invaders with a written notice dated 30/09/2020, informing them of the existence of the court order obtained against the invasion of this Evaton West land.

The MEC said illegal invasions are counter developmental as they deny qualifying beneficiaries their right to occupy land and housing that is legally theirs and sabotages and delays housing developments aimed at addressing the growing housing backlog.

"It is for this reason that we will be unapologetically enforcing the eviction order," MEC Maile said adding that the government policy is clear.

"People cannot benefit twice from government developments once they have received allocation unless there has been a special ministerial waiver.

"The state therefore cannot sacrifice the interests of those who remain unhoused, by entertaining unsustainable, impractical demands from those who are already beneficiaries of government housing schemes," he added.​

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