Johannesburg - Gauteng’s new human settlements MEC, Dikgang “Uhuru” Moiloa, is walking into the eye of the storm as land grabs in the country’s economic hub escalate.
His boss, Premier David Makhura, wants him to crack down on land invasions, pitting him against the EFF, which has claimed responsibility for the land grabs in some instances.
Makhura also wants Moiloa to deal with the pressing issue of the property rates hike in Joburg as well as the housing backlogs in the province as a matter of urgency.
The Gauteng government, under outgoing MEC and ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile, recently lost R150million that had been allocated to build low-cost houses because they had failed to spend it.
Read:
On Tuesday, Makhura expressed alarm at the spate of illegal land invasions throughout the province, which have triggered police deployment to the various hotspots.
Land in Pretoria was invaded by community members, which included Olievenhoutbosch, where people grabbed land to settle on and tried to erect structures.
Some said this was in line with the ANC’s resolution of expropriating land without compensation, and the recent parliamentary motion adopted by the ANC and the EFF on the expropriation of land without compensation.
Makhura slammed the invasions, saying his administration would ensure that law enforcement agencies brought to justice anyone who grabbed land.