The Hamony Gold mining company is aware of the encroachment of an area referred to as Golf Course in Reitzpark, Welkom.
Max Manoeli, brand manager for group communications in Harmony Gold’s department of corporate affairs, says the Matjhabeng Local Municipality previously approached Harmony for land donation of portion 1 of the farm Therons Rust, portion 1 of the farm Bedelia, as well as portion 1 of the farm Vlakfontein.
Manoeli also says the Reahola Community Residential units were in an uninhabitable state as a result of recent flooding.
“The municipality aims to establish a township to relocate the affected communities and discussions on these requests are underway.”
Manoeli says Harmony and the Matjhabeng Municipality are in constant engagements regarding land issues, and both parties are working together to deal with the problem.
Harmony is aware of the aforementioned land encroachments and is currently engaging with the municipality on finding a suitable solution.
Regarding Speelmanville in Alma Road, this settlement is situated on the farm Mealie Bult 49.
“This land has been earmarked for donation to the municipality. Both the radiation cleaning and environmental assessments to ascertain human settlement suitability have been completed,” says Manoeli.
He says the municipality, the local business owners in the Alma Road industrial area, and the relevant community leaders, were also engaged on the matter and they are fully aware of the developments.
“There has been a successful joint push-back on the land encroachers and the Harmony Security is monitoring the situation on a daily basis.”
This follows an enquiry by Vistaconcerning the land invasions on Harmony ground, which are adversely affecting surrounding communities.
The enquiry referred to Speelmanville in Alma Road, Golf Course in Lindsey Road, and also the latest invasion on Vlakvlei Farm 121.
Vista
understands that undocumented people are being allowed to flood this community with no regard for the people living around there, or for legal implications.
