Tshwane’s MMC for Housing says city has plan to deal with illegal property developments

JOHANNESBURG - Tshwane’s MMC for Housing, Aaron Maluleka, said that the city planned to double down on illegal property developments putting pressure on the municipality’s critical services.

The City of Tshwane reportedly has around 17 illegal townships with thousands of homes.

This includes homes built illegally on land that was not zoned for housing, have no environmental clearance and no basic services like water or electricity.

ALSO READ:

• Tshwane denies unfairly targeting Kleinfontein with hiking its rates bill

• Tshwane Municipality establishes mayoral sub-committee to look into formalising 17 illegal townships

• EFF MP Niehaus calls for whites-only enclaves to 'be eradicated'

While Maluleka said that the floating figure of 10,000 homes to be demolished to deal with the issue may be exaggerated, he admitted that it was a problem that needed urgent attention.

"We took a decision that we need to investigate each of these illegal townships so that we get down to them. The intention is not to allow lawlessness by regularising them, but it’s also how we can get a development agreement with them so we can get them going in terms of compliance."

Maluleka said that the illegal white-Afrikaner-only settlement of Kleinfontein was among the residential areas on their radar.

"What we’re going to do is work with them to get to a point where they comply with regulations for planning and our land management bylaws in the City of Tshwane."