The illegal occupation of land will not end for as long as the country’s leaders continue to sell dreams to citizens, Boshof community leader in the Free State, Lehlohonolo Hlalele, said on Wednesday.
Hlalele said many residents were fighting the Tokologo Local Municipality for land. The municipality’s towns include Dealesville, Hertzogville and Boshof.
Hlalele said: “As the community, we have been pleading with government to give us stands in order for us to build ourselves houses.
“They have been promising to give us sites. To date, nothing has happened.”
Hlalele said they held a meeting last Thursday in order to assess the number of people who needed housing stands.
The DA’s Johann Steenkamp said over the past weekend that there were some areas where stands had been marked, and the construction of informal housing had commenced.
Steenkamp said that according to the information he gathered from community members they were fed up with leaders with empty promises.
“Developments in Hertzogville and Dealesville have also been sluggish, with infrastructure projects progressing at an inconsistent pace, leaving residents without essential services.
“The demand for housing stands is pressing, and despite efforts by the DA and other political parties to address the issue in council meetings, little progress has been made.
“In 2020, 30 stands were developed in Boshof and sold to residents, yet essential services such as water, electricity, and sewage remain unavailable,” the councillor said.
He said residents were unable to obtain title deeds, hindering their ability to secure loans for home construction.
“The lack of proclamation has also led to confusion regarding the town’s boundaries and administrative status.
“The Department of Human Settlements has failed to provide a comprehensive report on available rental housing, suggesting mismanagement and possible nepotism in property allocation.
“Maintenance of municipal properties has been neglected, exacerbating the community’s frustration,” Steenkamp said.
Human Settlement MEC Ketso “Toto” Makume did not respond to questions sent to him by The Star.
A week ago, more than 13 people were arrested for public violence following the eviction of residents from a land near Lourierpark in Bloemfontein.
The municipality obtained a court order for the removal and demolition of unoccupied structures in the area.
At the time, residents criticised the municipality for how the order was implemented, claiming that they were told that they would not be affected.
The structures were demolished by the Red Ants.
The Star