Today, the MEC for Human Settlements, Urban Planning and COGTA, Lebogang Maile, and the Executive Mayor for the City of Johannesburg, Cllr Herman Mashaba, met to discuss the pressing situation in Lenasia and the region, involving land invasions.
The meeting was characterised by frank, constructive and cordial discussion on the challenges facing the region.
The meeting took place against the backdrop of the volatile situation in the region, as a result of the reported land invasions.
The meeting agreed that the situation in Lenasia requires urgent attention. Joint planning, backed by financial commitments, between the Province and City is necessary to bring real solutions to the people of Lenasia, and indeed, the region.
During the engagements, a shared understanding was stressed to ensure that a comprehensive response to the challenges facing Lenasia residents is developed.
The meeting also stressed the need for both the City and Province to work together to formulate a costed solution driven plan of intervention within the area.
To this end, the MEC and the Mayor have agreed on the immediate formulation of an intergovernmental task team, compromising of both officials from the Province and the City, which will begin operations today, in formulating interventions for the Lenasia and the region.
The task team was mandated, within the next week, to table a costed and detailed report to MEC Maile, the Premier and the Mayor outlining concrete interventions to take place in the area.
Over and above this, the meeting agreed on:
• Ensuring that the South African Police Services (SAPS) urgently intervenes within the area to address further illegal invasions in the area whilst taking up its investigative and intelligence gathering functions. This is particularly necessary for combating criminal syndicates within the area leading land invasions in the area. SAPS has committed to providing their intervention to the Province and City by Friday. The City’s JMPD is expected to reinforce and support this plan;
• The City, the Provincial Department of Human Settlements, with assistance of the Department of Home Affairs, must conduct an audit of illegally occupied structures within the area to determine who qualifies for housing within the area;
• The City and Provincial government are to meet with SAPS to address lawlessness within the City;
• Reporting back to the community within the coming week on the planned interventions which are to take place within the region.
We hope that this will be the beginning of a healthy and holistic relationship which will see the development of an approach between provincial and local government in addressing land invasions and historic landlessness within the City.
For media enquiries:
Castro Ngobese
Spokesperson: MEC for Human Settlements, Urban Planning and COGTA
Mobile: 0609977790
Email: castro.ngobese@gauteng.gov.za
Or
Olebogeng Molatlhwa
Assistant Director – Mayoral Communications
Landline: 011 407 6447
Mobile: 084 371 3243
Email: olebogengmola@joburg.org.za
