The residents of the “Golf Course” in Extension 2 of Rheeder Park have been waiting since 2008 for promised sites, but their dreams remain unfulfilled.
Multiple verification processes have yielded no results, and no efforts have been made to expedite the township establishment or engage with Harmony, the owners of the land on which “Golf Course” is situated.
“Every South African family deserves access to adequate shelter, and the delays are denying these residents their dignity,” says Igor Scheurkogel, councillor for area.
He says worse still, community members report that a senior political leader stated that residents will only receive sites if they vote for specific political parties.
“This is why a peaceful march and memorandum handover was done on 26 May to the members of the mayoral committee (MMC) of human settlements. There has, however, been no response from officials, further neglecting the needs of the community,” he says.
Tshidiso Tlali, spokesperson for Matjhabeng, says the land is privately owned, and the municipality does not have the authority to allocate or make decisions regarding it.
“Instead, the allocation of the land to residents in the area has been done by non-municipal officials, and will be investigated thoroughly. There are ongoing formal processes that aim to foster cooperation and progress between Harmony and the municipality.
“Harmony has expressed a willingness to donate the land to the municipality, which is appreciated. The process of land donation requires complying with various legal requirements,” he says.
Scheurkogel says he has been tirelessly fighting for answers and progress regarding the allocation of sites to the residents of Extension 2, Rheederpark,
“However, a politically motivated process between Harmony and the Matjhabeng Human Settlements Department has resulted in continuous frustration for residents, as they receive contradicting information,” says Scheurkogel.
To add to the frustration, the Matjhabeng Department of Human Settlements has returned over R67 million meant for housing residents back to the central government over two years.
“This negligence exemplifies the ANC’s failure to fulfil its constitutional mandate to the residents of Matjhabeng. I will not let the residents be sidelined any longer.
“We will continue to pressure the municipality to address this issue and provide the dignity that these residents deserve. The people’s welfare is our priority, and we will fight tirelessly to uphold it.”
