SELLWANE KHAKHAU
Residents of Botshabelo, in section H2 are once again, facing eviction and might be sleeping in the cold tonight.
This follows after the Mangaung Metro Municipality (MMM) started to demolish some of the shacks and houses of people who are allegedly illegally occupying the land. The municipality’s bulldozers moved in very early this morning.
This is the third time that the municipality evicts residents in the same neighbourhood. The process was however halted in February when residents applied for an urgent interdict in the Bloemfontein High Court.
Mangaung Executive Mayor, Thabo Manyoni, said then that this portion of the land was not properly allocated to residents. He said that the land invasion was against procedures and needed to be rectified, was reported by Owen Kock a few months ago.
Meanwhile, opposition parties in the Free State have questioned the procedure that was followed in the eviction.
The EFF has criticized Mangaung Metro, saying the demolishing of shacks and houses in the area was ruthless. Meanwhile, the DA has requested the municipality to provide clarity on the court order that allows for this eviction.
The party’s Caucus Leader at the municipality, Hardie Viviers, says the municipality must come forth with the court order that permitted them to evict the residents.
"We are praying that the the metro followed the right procedures. At this stage we are not 100% sure, and that is why we have requested the city manager to provide us with the necessary court order that gives the municipality the right to evict the people," he said.
OFM News contacted the municipality for comment and is awaiting a response.
Photo: Khakhau Khakhau
Photo: Khakhau Khakhau
Photo: Khakhau Khakhau
sellwane@centralmediagroup.co.za