Alexandra property dispute over
The long-standing legal dispute between the Alexandra Property Owners and government over the land ownership rights of the old section of the township is over. The draft agreement recorded as a “Declaration of Intent” was unanimously adopted by plenary following a submission by the Land Task Team which was mandated to resolve the matter over the weekend.
The out-of-court agreement proposes the following four settlement options for claimants: provision of title deeds for stands, provision of alternative stands, development partnership as well as financial compensation.
The agreement will be presented to a planned Stakeholder Summit expected to be convened in the next few weeks.
The agreement brings to an end a five year negotiation process which also prohibited government to undertake a full scale development programme to rehabilitate and de-densify the old section of the township – an area where freehold properties were sold to black families dating back from the early 1900.
The adoption of the agreement will further result in the withdrawal of an interdict by Property Owners. “Once government has started with the implementation of option one and presented an acceptable project plan for the implementation of the statement of intent, the interim interdict will be abandoned” reads the adopted Declaration of Intent.
“The adoption of the settlement brings to a close all the discussions and inputs to the Declaration of Intent. Our focus is now on the implementation of the agreement which will include a process to determine the value of all the properties affected, development of a database of all the claimants, and a total costing to determine the monetary value of all the four options” commented MEC Mamabolo immediately after a the adoption of the Declaration.
“For the first time in many years, this will enable both the Provincial Government and City of Johannesburg, working in partnership with community stakeholders to start initiating massive development plans to finally end slum-conditions and turn around the old section of the Alexandra a place that once served as a home to many leaders of our communities and the liberation struggle.”
Enquiries:
Motsamai Motlhaolwa
Tel: 011 355 4873
Cell: 079 897 2240
