Pietermaritzburg - The Pietermaritzburg High Court ruled on Tuesday against a urgent interim interdict preventing people from building homes on municipal land set aside for low-cost housing.
Judge Yvonne Mbatha refused to ratify the interdict, which was obtained by the Msunduzi (Pietermaritzburg) municipality in December to prevent further building in the area.
She said there was no need for the application to be made on an urgent basis.
Judy Singh, for the municipality, told the court the municipality did not want to evict anyone in a completed house, but wanted to prevent further construction.
The houses that had been completed did not comply with building regulations, had free water and were supplied with electricity by Eskom, Singh said.
The municipality intended to appeal the ruling.
The land was originally set aside for low-cost houses for the poor. - Sapa