BY REGINALD KANYANE

RUSTENBURG local municipality came up with strategic plan to fight housing backlog in the area. Municipality spokesperson, Thapelo Matebesi said they have experienced high rate of migration over the years.

“We have foremost plans to reduce housing backlog we are currently facing. We are working collaboratively with national and provincial sector departments in providing decent new typology human settlements.

“We have built Breaking New Grounds (BNG’s) and Community Residential Units (CRU’s) to mitigating the high housing demand in the Rustenburg area. The cause of this was job opportunities across Rustenburg,” Matebesi said.

He said they have also experienced mushrooming of informal settlements. Matebesi further added that the burgeoningaffects the municipality.

“The rapid growing of population and mushrooming of informal settlements interferes with our set-up in terms of Integrated Development Planning (IDP). This affects service delivery and therefore we cannot plan accordingly in terms of service provision.

“All of a sudden we now have more people to cater for, even though they were not part of the plan. This has been growing over years due to many people relocating to Rustenburg. There is a mining industry and that attracts people across,” Matebesi added.

He said there are over 38 expansive informal settlements so far. Matebesi further added that some informal settlements have occupied illegal lands belonging to mining companies.

“We cannot provide service delivery to some of the areas and that creates unrest. Rustenburg accounts for most of the informal settlements in the North West,” he said.

Meanwhile the residents who illegally occupied RDP houses will appear in North West High Court on Thursday. They were summoned and requested to explain to the court why they must not be evicted. Rustenburg local municipality and human settlements department applied for court eviction earlier this year.

North West premier, Supra Mahumapelo also came out gun blazing and lambasted EFF in North West over illegal occupation of RDP houses in Marikana. He alleged that they have received reports from the police that confirm that EFF was behind the illegal occupation of RDP houses.

“We want to put it on record that EFF is behind the illegal occupation of RDP houses in Marikana. We have received that information from the police. However we urge them to refrain from that as their behaviour derails service delivery. One of EFF member of legislature in North West said they will encourage residents to occupy RDP houses illegally.

  However EFF in the North West said the Marikana housing allocation was used by ANC and Rustenburg municipality as part of their illegal electioneering tactics in the run-up to the 2016 local government elections. Acting provincial secretary, Leigh-Ann Mathys said the ANC’s mismanagement of this process has the potential to result in another Marikana blood bath.

“The Minister of Human Settlements, Lindiwe Sisulu handed over the Marikana Housing Development Project to ANC-led Rustenburg municipality during January 8 rally. This was a clear indication of mobilising rounds for her party. The community requested clarity on the processes in which the housing will be allocated.  There was no response, and that resulted in illegal occupation,” Mathys said.

-TDN

Follow us on Twitter@Taung-DailyNews or @IceT_
taungdailynews@gmail.com

BY REGINALD KANYANE

RUSTENBURG local municipality came up with strategic plan to fight housing backlog in the area. Municipality spokesperson, Thapelo Matebesi said they have experienced high rate of migration over the years.

“We have foremost plans to reduce housing backlog we are currently facing. We are working collaboratively with national and provincial sector departments in providing decent new typology human settlements.

“We have built Breaking New Grounds (BNG’s) and Community Residential Units (CRU’s) to mitigating the high housing demand in the Rustenburg area. The cause of this was job opportunities across Rustenburg,” Matebesi said.

He said they have also experienced mushrooming of informal settlements. Matebesi further added that the burgeoningaffects the municipality.

“The rapid growing of population and mushrooming of informal settlements interferes with our set-up in terms of Integrated Development Planning (IDP). This affects service delivery and therefore we cannot plan accordingly in terms of service provision.

“All of a sudden we now have more people to cater for, even though they were not part of the plan. This has been growing over years due to many people relocating to Rustenburg. There is a mining industry and that attracts people across,” Matebesi added.

He said there are over 38 expansive informal settlements so far. Matebesi further added that some informal settlements have occupied illegal lands belonging to mining companies.

“We cannot provide service delivery to some of the areas and that creates unrest. Rustenburg accounts for most of the informal settlements in the North West,” he said.

Meanwhile the residents who illegally occupied RDP houses will appear in North West High Court on Thursday. They were summoned and requested to explain to the court why they must not be evicted. Rustenburg local municipality and human settlements department applied for court eviction earlier this year.

North West premier, Supra Mahumapelo also came out gun blazing and lambasted EFF in North West over illegal occupation of RDP houses in Marikana. He alleged that they have received reports from the police that confirm that EFF was behind the illegal occupation of RDP houses.

“We want to put it on record that EFF is behind the illegal occupation of RDP houses in Marikana. We have received that information from the police. However we urge them to refrain from that as their behaviour derails service delivery. One of EFF member of legislature in North West said they will encourage residents to occupy RDP houses illegally.

  However EFF in the North West said the Marikana housing allocation was used by ANC and Rustenburg municipality as part of their illegal electioneering tactics in the run-up to the 2016 local government elections. Acting provincial secretary, Leigh-Ann Mathys said the ANC’s mismanagement of this process has the potential to result in another Marikana blood bath.

“The Minister of Human Settlements, Lindiwe Sisulu handed over the Marikana Housing Development Project to ANC-led Rustenburg municipality during January 8 rally. This was a clear indication of mobilising rounds for her party. The community requested clarity on the processes in which the housing will be allocated.  There was no response, and that resulted in illegal occupation,” Mathys said.

-TDN

Follow us on Twitter@Taung-DailyNews or @IceT_
taungdailynews@gmail.com