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Gauteng Department of Human Settlements MEC Paul Mashatile has admitted to delays in implementing a statement of intent signed between his department, City of Johannesburg and the Alexandra Land and Property Owners Association (“ALPOA”), The Alexandra Property Owners Right (“APOR”) and The South African National Civic Organisation (“SANCO”) over the their land claim.

MEC Mashatile was responding to my oral questions during the House Sitting in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature yesterday.

This statement of intent was signed on 25 June 2016, over a year ago now, and nothing has been implemented.

Furthermore, the MEC shifted the blame for the delays to the change of administration of the City of Johannesburg. This excuse does not hold water, as it is his department’s responsibility to implement this agreement.

These delays does not only affect the ALPOA, APOR and SANCO but the redevelopment of the old Alexandra Township that is currently in a shameful state.

The redevelopment of the old Alexandra was stopped by ALPOA in 2005 through a court interdict, stopping any infrastructure development in the old section of the township.

The Alexandra Renewal Project remains frozen for the past 11 years and 9 months unless this statement of intent is put in place nothing further can happen.

This means depriving the citizens of old Alexandra access to modernized facilities and infrastructure.

According to the MEC, the signed statement of intent provides the claimants with four various options which includes the following:

• Provision of title deeds to claimants of stands in Alexandra;
• Provision of alternative stands in areas around Alexandra to claimants;
• Development of a partnership in which the claimants who want to get involved in development; and
• Financial compensation.

MEC Mashatile said the chosen options by the claimants will determine the amount of money to be requested from the National Treasury. The date for the Stakeholder’s Summit will be on 25 October 2017.

We believe that it’s about time that MEC Mashatile takes responsibility and does something proactive about this matter that has been dragging for years.

The DA will continue engaging with the MEC on the matter to ensure that he fast tracks this process of compensating the land and property owners of the old Alexandra Township so that the area can be developed.

Issued by DA