Land without owners will be taken and developed for public use: Mashatile

Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and Human Settlements Paul Mashatile has told the community of Diepkloof and Noordgesig in Soweto that government will take land without owners and develop it for public use.

“The Constitution does not tie our hands‚ there is no need for debate‚ let’s go and get the land‚” he said. Mashatile said the issue of access to land was raised in every area he visited and government was in agreement that people should identify land.

“The government will verify the status of the land and see what kind of development will be suitable for it‚” he said.

He said that government has prioritised the installation of basic services such as water‚ sewer and electricity. “We will allocate the stand to beneficiaries and also give them title deeds‚ as they are a proof of ownership. Not having a title deed might discourage people from building for themselves‚” he said.

Mashatile added that government had also identified land in Southern Farms outside Soweto that‚ when developed‚ would yield over 20‚000 houses and people of Diepkloof and Noordgesig would be prioritised.