The High Court case began again on Wednesday, June 15, in Pretoria, to evacuate the illegal squatters at Kids swing on the Alma road outside Bela-Bela.
AfriForum is acting on behalf of the concerned residents of the town to evacuate the squatters and approached the courts for the original order, which was granted by the Supreme Court in May 2014 to get passed. This comes after the process has been dragging on for too evacuate the squatters and AfriForum paid the legal fees from their resources, to get the order passed by the court.
The squatters have been living illegally since 2013 on the two plots of land (Erf 1492, which belong to the SBNP Family Trust) and Erf 1491 (which belongs to the national housing department). Erf 1492 is private land owned by the Alma road border. The land belongs to Steve Bosch, a business person from Polokwane.
Many residents near the shacks are fed up with the noise, pollution, frequent fires and damage to their property. They also fear that crime in the area could further increase as it is an illegal squatter camp with no basic services.
The stickers and the Bela-Bela Municipality, the two respondents in the case, then added members of the SBNP Family Trust as respondents to the case.
The municipality is likely to offer alternative accommodation for the squatters and to make arrangements if they need to be evacuated, the Post heard earlier.
According to a legal representative of Hurter Spies Attorneys in Pretoria, who is acting on behalf of the concerned residents, said that the court on Wednesday added the housing department as an additional respondent in the case.
The court then adjourned. It is now waiting for the answer from the housing department before a court date can be determined.
South Africa Today – South Africa News
