Deputy Minister Sihle Zikalala issues eviction notices on illegal occupiers of state properties in Cape Town

• Intensifies Operation Bring Back to recover stolen, hijacked and illegally occupied state properties

Public Works and Infrastructure Deputy Minister Sihle Zikalala has issued eviction notices to over a hundred illegal occupants who have hijacked state properties in Cape Town. Two properties in Goodwood and Khayelitsha meant for use by the SAPS have been stolen and are illegally occupied.

Deputy Minister Zikalala issued the eviction notices while leading Operation Bring Back (OBB) in Cape Town.

Operation Bring Back is a nationwide campaign led by DPWI Deputy Minister Sihle Zikalala and its intended purpose is to recover all stolen state land and property. Some of these properties include those vacated by user departments without being brought back to the department, and have become vulnerable to illegal occupation. As a result, some are run down due to overcrowding, dilapidation and lack of management by state institutions to which such assets are allocated.

During this Cape Town leg of the Operation Bring Back campaign, many whistle-blowers came forward and others physically brought evidence to the Deputy Minister of stolen properties-some by commercial entities and NGOs.

Zikalala is leading a nationwide OBB campaign in a bid to get back state properties including land that was stolen, hijacked and illegally occupied.

The Goodwood property Zikalala first visited is a residential property that was donated to the asset portfolio of government by patriotic citizen the late Clair Shelly Boulton, to be used by the South African Police Service. In her will, she clearly stated that the property must be used by the SAPS for fighting drug abuse in the community. The property has since been hijacked and is believed to be used as a drug peddling den-against the very will of the patriotic citizen that donated the property.

Illegal occupants have invaded the property and erected temporary structures. Currently, there are 12 illegal occupants, including children. There is allegedly rampant substance abuse, including drugs, on the property.

The second property visited is the 946.90 ha on Stellenbosch Road near Khayelitsha, which was allocated for mixed use by SAPS, including residential accommodation, public order policing, stock theft, anti-gang operations and a shooting range. The farm was used to accommodate SAPS officials, many of whom have since left after being deployed to other areas, leaving many of the houses vacant.

The farm includes vast land which has been illegally occupied, with informal settlement proliferation taking place.

Zikalala's visit has revealed a huge problem of hijacked state properties-not only by the poor and people desperate for houses-but by big commercial entities, NGOs and hoodlums posing as owners and collecting rent from illegal occupiers.

The eviction notices have been served with a deadline of 31 August at 23h59 for all illegal occupiers to vacate. Failure to comply will result in the courts being approached for contempt and violation, leading to evictions carried out by law enforcement agencies.

"Clearly the problem of illegally occupied, hijacked and stolen government properties is extensive and underestimated. We are seeing a strong element of poor management of state assets that are handed over to client departments who do not hand them back to the department when those allocated vacate them," said Deputy Minister Sihle Zikalala.

Zikalala will be intensifying Operation Bring Back in the coming months. A support programme, which includes the appointment of property specialists, has been developed to identify, audit, analyse, evict and recover illegally occupied and hijacked buildings. The focus is on all buildings that are supposed to be in the immovable asset register of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure.

In carrying out evictions of land and buildings by unauthorised occupants, the department follows legal processes, including the Prevention of Illegal Eviction from and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act, 19 of 1998, which regulates the eviction of unlawful occupiers from land and property in a fair manner, while recognising the right of landowners to apply to a court for an eviction order in appropriate circumstances.

Enquiries:
Lennox Mabaso
Head of Communications and Marketing: Department of Public Works and Infrastructure
Cell: 082 884 2403

Bukiwe Cimela
Media Relations
Cell: 076 420 8184

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