Residents ready to invade land

http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?art_id=vn20080623055504594C635176&set_id=1&click_id=124&sf=

June 23 2008 at 07:29AM

Disgruntled residents in Atteridgeville have vowed to fight on until they have been allocated RDP houses by the Tshwane Metro Council. The residents had previously tried to occupy a stretch of land in Lotus Gardens, west of Pretoria.

Pretoria West police stepped in and stopped the residents from moving on to the land.

http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20080409054540301C857002

Pretoria News 9/4/2008

Three-month-old baby dies in shack fire

Staring blankly at his hands, Mamelodi resident Matthew Skosana shakes his head, trying desperately to understand why he couldn't save three-month-old Lebogang Mashido from burning to death in a shack fire.

The fire left Lebogang's brother, Blessing, 2, and sister, Mmatsjie, 3, seriously injured in Pretoria Academic Hospital.

http://www.pretorianews.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=4064565
Story with picture.

Plan to put end to squatting
Eradication of informal settlements by 2014 - state

October 04, 2007 Edition 2

Graeme Hosken and Xolani Mbanjwa

A group of squatters has made a home on the doorstep of the seat of government, the Union Buildings, but the government has vowed that this scenario will be a thing of the past by 2014.

The provincial government is promising an ambitious R8 billion plan to eradicate all informal settlements.

According to this plan, houses will be allocated to those priced out of the housing market. A housing subsidy, to be made available to anyone regardless of race, will ensure that people who earn between R3 500 and R10 000 a month are able to apply for government-subsidised homes. However, this will not mean more RDP-type housing.

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?art_id=vn20070830041014303C110679

Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula on Wednesday felt the wrath of the law when he was found to be in contempt of a court order and committed to jail.

Not only was his department scolded, but the judge held him personally responsible for not complying with a court order issued last week.

In terms of the order, police were given 12 hours to rebuild the shacks of homeless people in Moreletapark.

Eight days later the homeless people, including women and children, are still destitute.

Pretoria High Court judge Bill Prinsloo ordered Nqakula should be committed to jail "with immediate effect, until such time as this contempt of the order is purged". A fine of R10 000 was also imposed on him.

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=124&art_id=vn20070619050250637C875452

June 19 2007 at 10:27AM

Hundreds of Mamelodi residents are bracing themselves for a showdown with police and council officials ahead of planned evictions.

Barricading roads with rocks and burnt-out car wrecks on Monday, Lusaka residents say they will not move.

"We have heard that the council is coming for us. Our response is let them come. We are ready for them and will fight them."

This was the warning by several Lusaka residents following Friday's violent clashes with council-hired shack demolition men.

SA told get its housing in order

April 25 2007 at 04:43AM

By Wendy Jasson da Costa

South Africa is likely to receive a damning report from the United Nations's special rapporteur on adequate housing, Miloon Kothari, when he ends his tour of the country on Thursday.

On Tuesday Kothari said that although South Africa's legislation was good and the right to housing was recognised in the constitution, implementation was "very weak" and there was a lack of co-ordination between departments.

He described the situation as "a mixed result".

Kothari is investigating the state of housing in different countries, access to water and electricity, sanitation, land rights, forced evictions and displacement because of development and disasters.