Metro seeks solution to long festering Angelo land dispute
As the Angelo informal settlement eviction date draws closer, the Ekurhuleni Metro is hoping to present a solution before the deadline on February 1.
Eviction threatens after the land owner, Living Africa Properties, sought a High Court order for the removal of more than 10 000 people, who stay on the piece of land known as Angelo Dump, along Main Reef Road, in Boksburg.
James Thomas, of Living Africa, confirmed that an eviction order has been granted requiring the property to be vacated by February 1.
Meanwhile, the metro has recently confirmed that its officials have been working on finding a solution to the looming evictions.
Putting residents at ease, a spokesperson for the metro, Themba Gadebe, says the metro has a strategic plan in place to mitigate the problem.
“The municipality has already identified alternative land for the relocation of the affected communities,” he explains.
“This matter is at an advanced stage of negotiations with the owners of the identified land.
“There are also plans for certain affected members of the community to be allocated to housing projects in the area, should they qualify in terms of the housing subsidy criteria.”
According to Gadebe, identifying alternative land parcels for possible acquisition will assist the metro with addressing the housing backlog in and around the mining belt.
Following the sad news that their days are numbered, thousands of residents of the informal settlement recently marched to the Boksburg Civic Centre to hand over a memorandum of grievances.
They threatened to take up arms if the eviction is executed.
The residents have demanded that, before the eviction order is carried out, the municipality must intervene and arrange alternative land for them.
They [the residents] also stated that they will accept the offer of a new place only on condition that it is within Boksburg, and that each of them is provided with a permanent stand with running water. – @FanieBoksburg
