– Gomolemo Mothomogolo
A company that evicted Soshanguve extension six residents has encouraged residents to lay criminal case against people who sold them pieces on land if they want to recover their monies.
Blackwater Afrique du Sud carried out the evictions and in the process houses were demolished.
The eviction order to remove people who had been illegally occupying land was granted on 17 May this year by the North Gauteng High court.
On 28 September residents filed an urgent court application to stop the evictions that saw houses being demolished on a privately owned piece of land.
But their court attempts were unsuccessful as the court struck the matter off the roll due to lack of urgency.
The company that implemented the eviction Blackwater Afrique du Sud said everything it did was above board.
Company owner, Karl Venter, urged everyone who’s aggrieved to go theegam route.
“If they open a criminal case then we can act accordingly. Remember they have lost thousands of Rands. But the only way they can recover it or attempt to recover it is not through a normal civil litigation. It will not work,” said Venter.
He said evicted residents need to legally seek compensation and restitution against people who sold the land illegally.
Section 300 of the Criminal Procedure Act states that a court may award compensation where offences caused damage to or loss of property
City of Tshwane acting Chief of staff, Jordan Griffiths, said the municipality has recorded an increase in land invasions. He said there are a number contributing factors.
“One is urban migration where people from more rural outlying areas are moving into the city. South Africans are moving into the cities, they don’t have a place to stay and they identify public land and they illegally invade it. Others are often undocumented foreign nationals who don’t have papers and they start their own settlement on a piece of public land that is unguarded. Sometimes is happens on private land as well,” said Griffiths.
He added that corrupt individuals or criminal syndicates who try and ‘sell’ land are also contributing to land invasion.
