Rustenburg - A case in which houses in Marikana were illegally occupied was postponed in the North West High Court on Thursday.
Ben Bole, spokesman for the North West Province’s local government and human settlements department said that the case between the Rustenburg Local Municipality and the illegal occupants of houses in Marikana was postponed to allow them occupants to file their heads of argument.
The municipality is seeking an order to allow for the those who occupied the houses illegally to be removed.
The case was postponed in the North West High Court to 10th June 2016 to allow respondents to file heads of arguments,” said Bole.
“However, the court ruled that all approved beneficiaries of the Marikana Extension 2 housing project, have been requested to allow the contractor space to complete the houses that they are presently occupying.
“The rest of the residents who have not been approved or are yet to be approved as beneficiaries must furnish their personal circumstances to the court on or before 03rd June 2016, in accordance with the Land Act of 1998 – Section 4 of the Prevention of Illegal Occupation and Eviction,” he said.
The Rustenburg municipality approached the court after 150 house were illegally occupied in January.
In February the municipality obtained a high court order prohibiting people from occupying the Breaking New Ground (BNG) houses illegally.
People started to occupy the houses forcefully in January, after North West premier Supra Mahumapelo and Housing Minister Lindiwe Sisulu handed two houses to Piet Tlou and Dora Diremela.
During the symbolic handover ceremony a group of community members dressed in red Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) T-shirts, protested and vowed to occupy the house forcefully.
They claimed that the houses were built for mineworkers following the death of 34 Lonmin mineworkers who were killed in 2012 during a violent wage strike at the Lonmin’s Marikana operations.
During the August 2012 strike a total of 44 people were killed - 34 of whom were mineworkers who were killed on August 16, 2012 after the police shot at them. There were 78 were injured and more than 200 arrested on that day.
In the weeks leading up to the Marikana massacre, 10 people were killed including two Lonmin security guards and two policemen.
When completed there will be 2600 house in the Marikana housing project, which is built on a portion of land donated by Lonmin.
African News Agency