Ekurhuleni plans to expropriate four pieces of land without compensation

The City of Ekurhuleni plans to expropriate four pieces of land without compensation after its council resolved on Thursday to start the process in the city.

Mayor Mzwandile Masina said on Thursday that the city wanted to test Section 25 of the constitution.

“We were the first to launch the Rapid Land Release Programme and now we want to be the first metro in Gauteng to expropriate land without compensation for the purposes of human settlement‚” Masina said.

“It is important to note that expropriation can never be a means to an end‚ but it has to inherently serve a particular purpose of interest. To ensure strict compliance to Section 25 of the constitution‚ the first step was to exclude any hint of arbitrariness and/or unreasonableness in our action‚ including assessment of the possibility of an alternative property or availability of less invasive means.”

Masina said the city wanted to serve the public and had to act “immediately to deal with its housing challenges”.

He said the owners of the four occupied properties had “essentially relinquished their property-ownership rights and responsibilities”.

“The city plans to immediately develop and establish townships on these pieces of land.”

The four properties are:

• PTN 40 of Farm Rietfontein 63-IR‚ which is 4.4. hectares and privately owned;

• REM 2 Elandsfontein 90-IR‚ which is 101.2 hectares and privately owned;

• The remainder of Extent Benoni 77-IR‚ which is 205 hectares and government-owned; and

• PTN 406 Farm Driefontein 85-IR‚ which is 33.6 hectares and privately owned.