Premier

Premier Panyaza Lesufi establishes a unit to fight land invasion in Gauteng. Photo: Panyaza Lesufi/ JMPD/ Facebook

SOPA: Premier Lesufi announces 24-hour anti-land invasion unit

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has introduced a 24-hour anti-land invasion tactical unit in the fight against land invasions in the province.

Premier

Premier Panyaza Lesufi establishes a unit to fight land invasion in Gauteng. Photo: Panyaza Lesufi/ JMPD/ Facebook

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has introduced a 24-hour anti-land invasion tactical unit in the fight against illegal dwellings on unoccupied land.

PREMIER LESUFI ADDRESSES LAND INVASION SCOURGE

With land invasion contributing to the population of informal settlement dwellings, Lesufi during his State of the Province Address (SOPA) said they want to be the generation to put an end to informal settlements.

“We must be the generation that should end informal settlements in our lifetime.”

Premier Lesufi

ALSO READ: Incomplete structures destroyed due to land invasion

HERE IS HOW PANYAZA PLANS TO ERADICATE LAND GRABS

“We need to begin a process of managing, formalising and ending informal settlements. As part of ensuring that informal settlements don’t escalate in our province,” he said, adding that they were concluding the establishment of a 24-hour anti-land invasion tactical unit.

“This unit will be fully equipped and backed by legal brains to stop the lawlessness of invading other people’s land easily,” said Premier Lesufi.

“Madam speaker, we are intervening in 731 informal settlements in our Province. Of this, we have mapped and enumerated 639 and we are upgrading 179 informal settlements at a budget of R3.1 billion. Today we have released 482 number of service stands. This is our new way of speeding up the building of houses in our communities. This means instead of people waiting for an RDP house we will release fully serviced stands with roads, water and electricity,” Premier Lesufi explained.

LOANS TO BOOST TOWNSHIP ECONOMY

Meanwhile, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has also pledged his support in empowering aboMastandi (township landlord) by providing them with loans to the tune of R50 million in order to be integrated into the real estate industry.

“The township residential rental market or the ‘backroom economy’ has been part of township economy since the beginning of time. We are upscaling the formalisation and upgrading of backroom properties,” he said.

“I am pleased to announce that 2000 applications have been validated for funding for aboMastandi and 40 loans have been approved to the tune of R50 million, which has the potential to create employment,” Gauteng Premier confirmed.

ALSO READ: SOPA: Lesufi to approve 40 loans for AboMastandi (township landlords)